Against the existing open market price ranging between Rs 645 and Rs 716 per quintal, if wheat is supplied at the uniform rate of Rs 600 per quintal, the Centre will save atleast Rs 1,000 crore, according to Shiv Sena leader Kanhaiyalal Gidwani.

The Shiv Sena have forwarded a memorandum to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Finance Minister Yeshwant Sinha, for providing wheat at uniform rates to all state governments.

``At the moment, the Centre is supplying wheat at a subsidised rate of Rs 250 per quintal for families below the poverty line and Rs 450 for families above the poverty line through the Public Distribution System. Thus, the average rate will be Rs 350 per quintal. In view of surplus wheat production, if four million tonnes of wheat is released to all states at the rate of Rs 600 perquintal, then the net saving on the subsidy will be Rs 1,000 crore,'' Gidwani argued.

Currently, the Centre supplies wheat to the northern zone at Rs 645 per quintal, the western zone at Rs 689, the eastern and north-eastern zone at Rs 708 and the southern zone at Rs 716, depending upon the transportation cost for the respective zones.

The decision to supply an additional four million tonnes of wheat to the open market is aimed mainly at controlling spiralling prices of essential commodities.

The Shiv Sena has pointed out that the policy adopted by the Centre will prove meaningless and will only help traders and importers. ``We feel that if the Centre is really keen to control the prices of essential commodities, particularly wheat and wheat products all over the country, then the sale price of wheat should be fixed below Rs 600 per quintal,'' the Shiv Sena submitted to the Prime Minister.In Mumbai, the Shiv Sena pointed out, the price of bread, the common man's staple food was increased from 0.50paise to 0.75 paise. If the supply price of wheat is restored at Rs 600 per quintal, then the price of bread will come down to the original rate.

Gidwani said if wheat is released at the reduced rate, only then will stocks be lifted, and reach consumers as desired by the Centre.Last week, a high-level delegation led by Shiv Sena Member of Parliament Madhukar Sarpotdar and party leader Udhav Thackeray had called on Union Food and Civil Supplies Minister S S Barnala and expalined the need to restore wheat prices. ``Though we convinced Barnala of the need for uniform prices, he expressed his inability to help, saying it was within the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance,'' Sarpotdar said.

Moreover, since the Centre has decided to import wheat, it will help traders and not consumers, he alleged. ``At the moment, the price ranges between Rs 645 and Rs 716 as against Rs 550 for imported wheat. Since major ports are located in the southern zone, imported wheat will be received in these zones only. Therefore,the high price fixed by the government for the release of wheat will only help leading traders and in no way common consumers,'' he added.