The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Food and Consumer Affairs Ministry’s proposal to reimburse Rs.113.4 crore of losses on pulses imported between 2006 and 2011.
Pulses were imported by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (Nafed), Project and Equipment Corporation (PEC), State Trading Corporation (STC) and Metals and Minerals Trading Corporation (MMTC) and these central public entities will be the beneficiaries of the move.
Losses incurred in the sale of pulses up to six months after closure of the scheme will also be reimbursed in order to enable the entities to “intensify trading activities to cool down prices”, said an official release.
The release added that it was decided earlier to import 5,000 tonnes each of arhar (tur) and urad pulses through tenders floated by the MMTC in order to help bring down domestic retail prices which have crossed and stayed above Rs.100/kg in New Delhi over the last four months.
The first consignment of these imported pulses will reach Mumbai by September 5.
“The Union Government has taken several measures to increase availability and control the price of essential commodities, especially pulses and onions. States have been empowered to impose stock limits on pulses, export of all pulses is banned except kabuli chana, organic pulses and lentils to the tune of 10,000 MTs. Besides, there is zero duty on import of pulses,” the release informed.