Rising pulses rate worries Modi govt

With the price of pulses touching the sky, the government on Sunday stepped in to arrest it by imposing limits for stocking the commodity by licenced importers, exporters and large departmental retailers and asked states to take measures to prevent hoarding.

The Centre has also issued directions to keep a watch on the prices of essential commodities on a daily basis and work in close coordination with all states to control price rise by checking black-marketing and profiteering by traders.

The pro-active stand from the Centre came amid the Assembly election in Bihar where the Opposition is trying to blame the NDA government for the emerging situation.

According to  a statement issued by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, food and public distribution, all these measures are meant to prevent hoarding, increase the availability of pulses and cool down the prices.

“The government has amended the Central Order under Essential Commodities Act, 1955 with immediate effect to enable imposition of stock limits on pulses sourced from imports, stocks held by exporters, stocks to be used as raw-materials by licensed food processors and stocks of Large Departmental Retailers,”  it said.

In its earlier order extending the imposition of stock limits on pulses, edible oils and edible oil seeds, for one year up to September 30 next year, the government had granted exemption to four categories of stocks i.e., stocks sourced from imports, held by exporters, by licensed food processors and large departmental retailers. Government has now withdrawn exemptions to stocks of pulses held by these four categories,” it said.

Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha is reviewing the price situation on a daily basis and has advised all states to intensify anti-hoarding operations and check blackmarkets. Unseasonal rains and deficient monsoon have resulted in fall in domestic output of pulses, which has resulted in the rise in prices.