Farmers' wings of Left parties today demanded the Centre to undertake long-term measures to ensure India attains self-sufficiency in production of pulses.
This came in the backdrop of Union Cabinet today deciding to import pulses in order to check rising prices of pulses.
"Pulses are being imported every year. Production of pulses in our country is always much below than our requirement. We demand the government to increase areas cultivating pulses.
"There should also be long-term planning to attain self-sufficiency. But the government has been neglecting such a policy," All India Kisan Sabha (36 Canning Lane) General Secretary Hannan Mollah said.
Mollah, also a CPI (M) politburo member, however added that in view of urgency of supply this year, the government should import pulses to ensure people are not troubled.
Atul Kumar Anjan, General Secretary of All India Kisan Sabha (Ajoy Bhawan), blamed "very strong lobby" of central bureaucracy for the situation.
"There is a very very strong lobby in central bureaucracy and some forces inside the chamber those who are extracting money out of imports.
"So, these forces in collision with the big importers, middlemen lobby - internal and external - they create such a situation where India is not self-sufficient in the field of oil seeds, edible oil, pulses," the CPI leader alleged and demanded a "pro-active" policy from the government to increase pulse production.
To check rising price of pulses, the Government today decided to import lentils in large quantities to boost supply and also asked states to take action against hoarders.
Prices of pulses have risen by up to 64 per cent in the last one year as the domestic production fell by nearly two million tonnes in 2014-15 crop year due to unfavourable weather conditions.
India imports about 4 million tonnes of pulses, largely through private trade, to meet domestic shortfall.
