Govt to create 40,000 tonnes of buffer stock of pulses

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: With pulses spiking to a record of up to Rs 200 per kg, the government on Friday decided to create 40,000 tonnes of buffer stock of pulses.

The pulse price has risen unabated in most parts of the country due to shortage of two million tonnes in domestic output.

On Wednesday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had asked state governments to lift imported stocks from ports and announced creation of buffer stock of pulses, preferably through imports, to take care of the problem in future.

The government had also decided to invoke the Price Stabilisation Fund, handling and transportation charges at the port and milling and processing fees in order to make pulses more affordable.

The state-owned MMTC has contracted 5,000 tonnes each of tur dal and urad, which has floated tender for import of additional 2,000 tonnes of tur dal.

The government is planning to import more quantities till prices come under control.

Besides imports, the government has taken several measures to check price rise. It has imposed restrictions on holding of pulses stocks beyond a ceiling and taken action against hoarders and blackmarketeers.

To provide relief to Delhi consumers, the state-run Kendriya Bhandar will start selling imported tur dal at its 100 locations here from tomorrow, while sale of the commodity at Mother Dairy's 300 Safal outlets will begin from this weekend.

Even Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu governments are selling imported tur dal contracted by the state-owned MMTC though many states are yet to start this initiative to bring down prices.

Pulses prices have risen unabated for the past few months due to a fall in domestic output by about 2 million tonnes to 17.20 million tonnes in 2014-15 crop year (July-June) due to deficient monsoon last year and unseasonal rains.

With Agency Inputs