With the Food Corporation of India (FCI) holding 84.38 million tonnes (MT) of foodgrains, nearly three times the prescribed buffer stock, rising costs of carrying the surplus could push the Centre’s food subsidy expenditure beyond the budgeted amount in 2026-27. The finance ministry has released Rs 83,000 crore, or 54% of the Rs 1.52 lakh crore budgeted for food subsidy through FCI, while a Rs 50,000-crore “ways and means” advance has provided temporary working capital.