To discourage hoarding of pulses for speculation, the government on Tuesday intensified its drive against excess stock holding with official agencies seizing over 5,800 tonnes of illegally stored pulses in surprise raids.
Union Cabinet secretary P.K. Sinha took another meeting of top officials of departments concerned for the second consecutive day to review the situation.
Officially, the average price of tur stood at about Rs. 156 a kilogram, while urad remained at Rs. 138 a kg. Government outlets like the Kendriya Bhandar and Safal have started selling imported dal at Rs. 120 a kg, government sources said.
The meeting discussed the action taken by State governments against hoarding under the Essential Commodities Act and reviewed the availability of pulses sold through official outlets to check the high prices of tur and urad.
According to the Consumer Affairs Ministry, over 5,800 tonnes of pulses stored in excess of stock limits were seized in five States.
Around 2,546 tonnes were seized in Telangana, 2,295 tonnes in Madhya Pradesh, 600 tonnes in Andhra Pradesh, 360 tonnes in Karnataka and one tonne in Maharashtra.
Raids on in TN, Karnataka
“Raids are being carried out in Mysuru and Kalaburagi in Karnataka as also in Tamil Nadu,’’ official sources said. The Rajasthan government has also intensified enforcement of stock limits on pulses. Besides taking measures to de-hoard illegally stored pulses, State governments have begun to withdraw exemption on stock holding limits given earlier to pulse importers, exporters, licensed food processors and large departmental retailers, in line with the Centre’s orders.
Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu have already issued orders to this effect, the sources said.