High prices of pulses: MP CM asks officials to check hoarding

Alarmed over high prices of pulses, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today reviewed the situation and directed officials to check its hoarding by launching a drive against those indulged in its black marketing.
The Chief Minister after reviewing the situation directed to impose pulses stock ceiling order and also ordered to launch a drive to check hoarding and black marketing of pulses in the state, an official of Public Relation Department said.
He also directed to take strong action against those indulged in such activities.
Chouhan also took information about current prices of pulses and ordered to implement Madhya Pradesh Essential Commodities Traders Stock Limit and Hoarding Prohibition Order, 2015 to control the pulses trade.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary, Antony DeSa, Chief Minister's Principal Secretary, Iqbal Singh Bains, Secretary Vivek Agrawal and Principal Secretary Food and Civil Supplies, Ashok Varnwal among others were present on the occasion.
Under the Prohibition Order, a pulses trader, commission agent and processor can store a maximum of 2000 quintal pulses (Tuar, Moong, Urad and Masoor variety) in a city of more than 10 lakh population, 1,000 quintal in a city having population of 3-10 lakh and 500 quintal in cities having less than three lakh population, the official said.

Similarly, it is also applicable to retailers who cannot store more than 50 quintal in a city having a population of more than three lakh and 40 quintal in those towns where the population is less than three lakh, he said.

The traders were also directed to display their stock position and cost of items in their shops for public.
At present, tuar dal is being sold at around Rs 200/per kg in Bhopal.