Govt to sell tur dal from buffer stocks to millers for augmenting supply

The government will sell tur dal from its buffer stock to eligible millers as part of its efforts to boost domestic supply and keep prices under control.

"The government has decided to release tur from the national buffer in a calibrated and targeted manner till imported stocks arrive in the Indian market," an official statement said.

The Department of Consumer Affairs has directed National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumers Federation (NCCF) to dispose of tur dal through online auction among eligible millers to augment the available stocks for milling into tur dal for the consumers, it added.

The quantities being auctioned and the frequency will be calibrated on the basis of the assessed impact of the disposal on the availability of tur to consumers at affordable prices.

On June 2, the government imposed stock limits on tur and urad by invoking the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 in order to prevent hoarding and unscrupulous speculation and also to improve affordability to the consumers.

Under this order, stock limits have been prescribed for tur and urad until October 31, 2023, for all states and UTs.

Stock limits applicable to each of the pulses individually are 200 tonnes for wholesalers; 5 tonnes for retailers; 5 tonnes at each retail outlet and 200 tonnes at the depot for big chain retailers; last 3 months of production or 25 per cent of annual installed capacity, whichever is higher, for the millers.

The order has also made it mandatory for these entities to declare the stock position on the portal of the department.

The implementation of stock limit order and status of stock disclosure on the portal is continuously monitored by the Department of Consumers Affairs and the state governments.

In this regard, data on stocks held by various entities in warehouses of Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) and State Warehousing Corporations (SWCs), stocks pledged by market players with banks etc have been cross-checked against the quantities declared on the stock disclosure portal.

The state governments are continuously monitoring the prices in their respective states and are verifying the stock positions of stock-holding entities in order to take strict action on those who violated the stock limits order, the statement said.