Prices of pulses not to cross Rs.120/kg: Paswan

Source: PTI

Prices of pulses will not be allowed to cross Rs.120 a kg, Union Food Minister Ramvilas Paswan said on Monday.

Paswan told reporters that his ministry has prepared a buffer stock to ensure that prices of pulses does not spiral.

About 50 tonne pulses have been purchased and an additional 26 tonne was being imported, the Minister said.

"Out of this import, 10 tonne has already reached us," he said adding another one lakh tonne pulses were been acquired from the market.

He said production of around 173 lakh tonne of pulses was expected in the country this year, while the country consumes 235 lakh tonnes of pulses.

The Minister said the Centre wants there should be no hoarding of pulses.

Paswan, who hails from the east Indian state of Bihar, came down heavily on the Nitish Kumar government saying, while other states have already placed their demand for pulses to his Ministry, the same has not come from Bihar.

He urged the state government to ensure that pulses were sold not more than a price of Rs.120 a kg even in the open market and made public a letter he has written to the Bihar Chief Minister to ensure that prices of essential commodities like pulses, sugar and vegetable oil do not spiral.

He said a meeting of state food ministers has been called on May 21 to discuss rise in prices of food items and prepare a working plan to this effect.