Tur dal may be part of midday meal

The Centre is exploring ways to include tur dal in the midday meal menu of school students from its buffer stock of 20 lakh tonnes of different pulses.

The Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry has asked the department of consumer affairs to furnish, state-wise issue price of processed tur dal and the policy on price volatility after some states indicated requirement for milled tur dal with a condition that its issue price must be lower than the market price prevalent in their areas.

The move follows a recommendation by the committee of secretaries. “The HRD ministry has communicated the recommendation of CoS to all the states/UTs to explore the option of procuring tur dal from the buffer stock,” Minister of State for HRD Mahendra Nath Pandey told the Lok Sabha on Monday in reply to a written question.

“A CoS at a meeting for disposal of tur pulses from the dynamic buffer stock recommended that HRD ministry firm up their requirement of tur and other dal and inform the department of consumer affairs,” the Union minister said.