Centre to provide Rs 15/kg discount on pulses for poor

The Union Cabinet today decided to provide a discount of Rs 15 per kilogram on pulses over wholesale market price to states for distribution under welfare schemes.

States and UTs will be offered to lift 34.88 lakh tonnes of Tur, Chana, Masoor, Moong and Urad at discount of Rs 15 per Kg over the prevailing wholesale market price on first come first serve basis.

This will be one-time dispensation for a period of 12 months or complete disposal of 34.88 lakh tonnes of pulses stock, whichever is earlier.

"Government will spend Rs 5,237 crore for implementation of this scheme," said Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said after the Cabinet meeting.

The decision will enable the states/UTs to use pulses in various welfare schemes, besides making it available at the warehouses, which may be required in coming Kharif season for storage of commodities procured under price support scheme, said an official release.

The states/UTs will utilise pulses in their various welfare schemes/ programmes like Mid-Day Meal, Public Distribution System, and Integrated Child Development Programmes (ICDP). This will be one-time dispensation for a period of 12 months or complete disposal of 34.88 lakh tonnes of pulses.

The country has witnessed all time high production of pulses during the last 2 years.

The Centre under price support scheme has made record procurement of pulses during Kharif 2017 and Rabi 2018 marketing season.

A record procurement of 45.43 lakh MT of pulses has been done under price support scheme, the release said.

In the coming Kharif season, the production of pulses is expected to be good, it said, adding that this coupled with increase in minimum support price will require additional procurement under price support scheme.