Government agencies have procured over 62,000 tonnes of pulses till Tuesday, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said on Tuesday.
"The government agencies have procured over 62,000 tonnes of pulses including 50,424.07 tonnes of Tur and Urad from Kharif Marketing Season 2015-16 and 11,754.06 tonnes of Chana and Masur from Rabi Marketing Season 2016-17," Paswan told the Lok Sabha.
The minister said that in addition imports had been contracted for about 13,500 tonnes of Tur and 12,500 tonnes of Urad.
He said there was strict vigilance by the government to prevent importers from misusing the facilities of Customs Bonded Warehouse facility.
"Domestic searches and surveys have also been conducted on a number of importers, traders and financiers engaged in pulses trade," Paswan said.
He also said that his ministry had received requests from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan for allocation of pulses from buffer stocks.
--IANS
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