Government imposes stock limits on pulses across the trade

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Government on Sunday imposed stock limits on pulses across the cross-section of pulses traders in a desperate attempt to deal with spiraling prices and check hoarding of the commodity.

Now, all the importers, exporters, licenced food processors and large departmental retailers will also have to follow the stock-limit rules. 

In its September 28 order on extending the stock limit on pulses and other commodities till 2016, the consumer affairs ministry had exempted these four categories of traders from the obligations to maintain stock limits. This is likely to continue till the time the domestic produce is available in the market.

Government has also advised all states to stringently check any kind of black-marketing by traders.

Looking at the mismatch between the demand and supply of pulses in the country and rising prices, government had announced on Friday that the government will purchase 30,000 tonnes of tur and 10,000 tonnes of urad through the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (Nafed) to create a buffer stock.