After post offices, Centre now plans to sell pulses through khadi bhandar outlets

Pulses prices have risen by around Rs 20-30 per kg in most retail markets across the country in the last one month

After post offices, the Centre is now exploring an option of selling pulses, particularly chickpea (chana), through khadi bhandar outlets located across the country, to cool down prices. A substantial quantity of pulses would also be sold through the National Commodity and Exchange of India, a government statement said.

The move is meant to bypass state machinery to provide pulses at cheap rates to consumers, as some states have been reluctant to lift the pulses allocated to them. On pulses sale through post offices, sources said it has been decided to tap select post offices to sell pulses from November 1. India has about 154,000 post offices, of which 130,000 are in remote areas. An inter-ministerial committee headed by Consumer Affairs Secretary Hem Pande took the decision at its meeting here on Friday. It was attended by senior officials of ministries of food, consumer affairs, agriculture, commerce and finance. Pulses prices — mainly that of chana — have risen by Rs 20-30 a kg in most retail markets across the country in the past month.

To boost chana (gram) supply and curb prices, the committee has decided to release more stock to government agencies for retail distribution. The government has been releasing pigeon pea (tur) and black gram (urad) from its buffer stocks for the past many months to state governments as well as to government agencies such as Nafed and Mother Dairy for retail distribution at a subsidised rate.

The government plans to create a buffer stock of two million tonnes this year and pulses are being procured directly from farmers in the domestic market and through imports.

The government has set up a procurement target of 50,000 tonnes for current kharif pulses. So far, 500 procurement centres have been opened and farmers are being paid through cheque or bank transfer.