States asked to have meeting with local wholesalers to ensure availability of pulses at reasonable prices

The Center has asked the State Governments to have meeting with millers, wholesalers and retailers to make pulses available in retail markets at reasonable prices. This is yet another initiative already taken by few States to keep prices of pulses at affordable rates.

In a communication to the States /UTs, the Center has said that distribution of Tur, Urad, Chana and other dals at reasonable prices thorough PDS by some States has helped stabilizing the prices. Other States may consider this step also to control the prices.

Among several measures taken by the Center to keep prices under check, certain quantity of Tur dal has been imported and States were requested to indicate their requirements for retail distribution to contain price rise of pulses. Some States have responded and also lifted certain quantities of Tur dal.

Meanwhile, De-hoarding operations across the states continued. These have resulted in seizure of74,846.359 MT pulses so far. Total 6,077 raids have been conducted by the states after the amendment in the Central Order under Essential Commodities Act.

State-wise seizure of pulses so far is as follows-

Sl No.	State	As on 23 Oct 2015 Raids conducted & Quantity seized (MT)		As on 24 Oct 2015 Raids conducted & Quantity seized (MT)		Total Quantity seized (MT)
1 2	Andhra Pradesh Bihar	193 ---	859.87 ---	No change 60	No change 4933.89	193 60	859.97 4933.89
3	Chhattisgarh	52	4525.19	55	5.20	107	4530.39
4	Haryana	227	1932	No change	No change	227	1932
5	Karnataka	177	5967.34	158	2688.00	335	8755.34
6	Madhya Pradesh	25	2295.00	No change	No change	25	2295.00
7	Maharashtra	498	30373.00	1994	16024.00	2492	46397.00
8	Telangana	1820	2546.00	No change	No change	1820	2546.00
9	Tamil Nadu	29	4.329	No change	No change	29	4.329
10	Rajasthan	285	1970.00	30	252.00	315	2222.00
11	Himachal	426	2.44	No change	No change	426	2.44
12	Jharkhand	Nil	Nil	41	280	41	280
13	Orissa	Nil	Nil	7	88	7	88
						6077	74846.359

As a result of the de-hoarding drive, the States have reported declining trends in the prices pulses.

Courtesy: pib.nic.in