The food ministry is going to be tougher on hoarding as it proposes capital punishment or life imprisonment against the offenders.

The food ministry has again granted more time to business to open letters of credit (LCs) for importing rice as shipments continue to be very low while prices of the grain are rising due to the recent spike in fuel costs, according to a notice on Wednesday.

The Food Ministry has given approval to 380 private organisations to import 10 lakh tons of rice.

The food ministry says it tested the wheat imported from Brazil and did not find any grain that is “rotten” or “unfit for human consumption”.