Centre looking at selling pulses via PDS

NEW DELHI: With eight lakh tonnes of pulses in its buffer stock, the government today said it is considering to distribute dals through ration shops at non-subsidised rate.

"We have lot of pulses in our buffer stock. Some states like Karnataka want to sell pulses through the Public Distribution System ( PDS). We will examine the proposal," Consumer Affairs Secretary Hem Pande told PTI.

The pulses price and stock situation was discussed in detail in the meeting of Committee of Secretaries (CoS) on prices of essential commodities today.

"The CoS has asked us to examine if we can give some quantity of pulses to states for distribution through PDS," Pande said.

Karnataka government has asked 10,000 tonnes of pulses for PDS purpose, he added.

Asked if the Centre will offer the buffer stock of pulses to states at a subsidised rate, the secretary said, "If at all we decide to offer pulses to states, it will be for sale via PDS as non-PDS item and rates will be not be subsidised."

The states can further subsidize it at their cost, he added.

Already some states like Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh are distributing pulses through PDS at a subsidised rate. It is not known whether it is sold on a regular basis.

On retail pulses prices, the secretary said that the rates are cooling down due to good domestic production.

Against the target of 20 lakh tonnes for this year, the central government has created a buffer stock of 8,00,000 tonnes so far both through domestic procurement and imports.

Out of which, 4.06 lakh tonnes of pulses been imported.

The buffer stock of pulses is being created so that it can be supplied in the open market to curb price rise.

Pulses production is estimated to be 20-21 million tonnes in 2016-17 crop year (July-June) on account of good monsoon and higher minimum support price. Last year, the output had fallen to 16.47 million tonnes due to drought.