The Chief Minister's Office of Chhattisgarh announced on Tuesday, 9 June 2026 that the state Cabinet has taken a key decision to ensure uninterrupted distribution of chana (chickpeas) to eligible beneficiaries under the Public Distribution System (PDS) for the financial year 2026-27. The Cabinet resolved that the Chhattisgarh State Civil Supplies Corporation (CSCSC) will be permitted to procure chana through the NeML (NCDEX e-Markets Limited) e-auction platform at a service charge capped at a maximum of 0.25 per cent. Alongside this, the existing distribution arrangement has been extended by three months — from April to June 2026 — to maintain continuity without a supply gap.

Context

The Cabinet's announcement, posted by the Chief Minister's Office of Chhattisgarh on its official X account, stated: 'mantriparishad ne sarvajanik vitaran pranali ke antargat patra hitgrahi yon ko vittiya varsh 2026-27 mein chana vitaran ki nirantarta banaye rakhne ke liye aavashyak chana uplabdh karane ke sambandh mein mahatvapurn nirnay liya hai' — meaning the Cabinet has taken an important decision to ensure continued availability of chana for eligible PDS beneficiaries in financial year 2026-27. The decision directly impacts households enrolled under food and nutrition security schemes across Chhattisgarh, ensuring they continue to receive protein-rich pulses alongside staple cereals.

Policy Backdrop

India's National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 legally entitles priority and Antyodaya households to subsidised food grains and has encouraged states to supplement cereal-based distribution with pulses to address nutritional deficiencies. Chhattisgarh, which has one of the country's most expansive PDS networks, has progressively included pulses such as chana to shift from a cereal-only model toward broader nutrition security. The use of the NeML e-auction platform for procurement reflects a broader trend among Indian states of adopting transparent, technology-driven procurement mechanisms. E-auction platforms reduce leakage, ensure competitive pricing, and create an auditable procurement trail — factors especially important when purchasing commodities subject to price volatility like pulses.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries are eligible PDS households across Chhattisgarh — including those covered under priority household and Antyodaya Anna Yojana categories — who depend on subsidised chana as a key protein source. The three-month extension from April to June 2026 is designed to bridge any potential supply gap while fresh procurement through NeML is completed for the full 2026-27 cycle. Pulse farmers and commodity traders participating in the NeML e-auction also stand to benefit from a transparent, competitive bidding process backed by state-level demand. The CSCSC, as the nodal procurement and distribution agency, will oversee both the e-auction process and the downstream supply chain to fair-price shops.

What's Next

The immediate focus will be on the CSCSC initiating procurement tenders on the NeML platform to build adequate chana stocks ahead of the 2026-27 distribution cycle. Any revision in central NFSA allocations or state budget provisions for pulses could influence the volume procured and the subsidy burden on the state exchequer. The decision signals Chhattisgarh's intent to sustain its nutrition-supplementation model under PDS even as pulse prices remain susceptible to seasonal and market fluctuations. If the e-auction mechanism delivers competitive rates within the 0.25 per cent service charge cap, it could serve as a replicable model for other states looking to expand pulse distribution under their own PDS frameworks.