Cutting across party lines, Lok Sabha members on Tuesday raised concerns over the sharp rise in the prices of pulses, a key source of protein for the poor, and wanted to know if the Centre would include it in the Public Distribution System (PDS).
Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, while agreeing that there was a huge gap between supply and demand, ruled out including pulses in the PDS.
“While agreeing that dal is key source of nutrition, till we have sufficient supply, we cannot give any solid assurance of it being included in the PDS,” he informed the House.
Raising the issue during Question Hour, BJP member Ravinder Kushwaha pointed at rampant hoarding, as was evident by the seizure of 134,000 tonnes of dal. He wanted to know what the Centre was doing to prevent it.