AMN /
The Centre has decided to release 10,000 metric tonnes of pulses, mainly Tur and Urad, from buffer stock to ensure their availability at reasonable prices. Food and Consumer Affairs Ministry said in a release that the government has requested States to avail the benefit and utilize the available stocks for managing the prices of pulses in their respective State.
States have also been asked to keep a close watch on the prices and to take stringent action against hoarding of the commodity.
The Ministry said, the Centre has already empowered the states to impose stock limits on the pulses to ensure easy availability. It said, government agencies have made procurement of about 50,000 metric tonnes of pulses from the farmers during the Kharif Marketing Season, 2015-16 and has contracted 25,000 Metric tonnes for import.
The Ministry said, government is also initiating procurement of Rabi pulses and has targeted to procure around one lakh Metric tonnes of Chana and Masur to build the buffer stocks further.