Lok Sabha Question No. 246 (STARRED), answered on 2016-03-15
Subject: Hoarding of Pulses
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: RAVINDRA KUSHAWAHA, DODDAALAHALLI KEMPEGOWDA SURESH

## ORIGINAL IN HINDI

## Government of India Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department of Consumer Affairs

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *246

TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.03.2016

## HOARDING OF PULSES

*246.   SHRI RAVINDER KUSHAWAHA: SHRI D.K. SURESH: (OIH)

## Will  the  Minister  of  CONSUMER  AFFAIRS,  FOOD  AND  PUBLIC  DISTRIBUTION miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) whether puplses were recovery recently durig action against hoarding, if so, the details thereof, State-wise along with the action taken against the traders/hoarders involved therein;
- (b) whether the Government proposes to make any legal provisions for preventing hoarding and speculative  activities  so  as  to  control  their  prices;  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  if  not,  the reasons therefor; and
- (c) whether keeping in view the drop in the production on pulses on account of drought during the last  and  the  current  year,  measures  have  been  taken  or  are  likely  to  be  taken  for  increasing availability of the pulses, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k ea=ky; ea=h ¼Jh jke foykl ikloku½

## THE MINISTER OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI RAM VILAS PASWAN)

(a) to (c) :

A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## STATEMENT REFERRED IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.*246 FOR 15.03.2016 REGARDING HOARDING OF PULSES.

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(a) : Yes Madam. State-wise details are at Annexure-I .

- (b) : Provisions are provided under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 and the Prevention of Blackmarketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, 1980 to prevent hoarding and speculative activities, in the trade of pulses so as to control their prices.
- (c) : For increasing availability of pulses, Government has taken various measures as per Annexure-II .

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## STATEMENT REFERRED IN REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  LOK  SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION NO.*246 FOR 15.03.2016 REGARDING HOARDING OF PULSES.

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## Recovery of Pulses during action against hoarders/traders during Oct, 2015 to March, 2016

| Sl. No.   | States           | Quantity Seized (in Metric Tonnes)   | Raids Conducted   | Arrest Made   | FIRs Lodged   | Detention Order   |
|-----------|------------------|--------------------------------------|-------------------|---------------|---------------|-------------------|
| 1.        | Andhra Pradesh   | 1361.52                              | 1300              | NR            | NR            |                   |
| 2.        | Bihar            | 360.03                               | 299               | NIL           | NR            | -                 |
| 3.        | Chhattisgarh     | 5447.93                              | 112               | NIL           | NR            | -                 |
| 4.        | Delhi            | 81.29                                | 5                 | NIL           | 2             | -                 |
| 5.        | Goa              | NR                                   | 1                 | NIL           | -             | -                 |
| 6.        | Gujarat          | 54.11                                | 2301              | 4             | 235           | 2                 |
| 7.        | Haryana          | 14.60                                | 1712              | 20            | 11            | -                 |
| 8.        | Himachal Pradesh | 3.42                                 | 14537             | NIL           | 129           | -                 |
| 9.        | Jharkhand        | 282.02                               | 140               | NR            | NR            | -                 |
| 10.       | Karnataka        | 25545.83                             | 2563              | 54            | NR            | -                 |
| 11.       | Kerala           | NR                                   | 724               | 18            | 67            | -                 |
| 12.       | Madhya Pradesh   | 3144.74                              | 969               | NR            | NR            | -                 |
| 13.       | Maharashtra      | 87167.37                             | 5810              | 115           | 150           | 1                 |
| 14.       | Mizoram          | NR                                   | 3                 | -             | 2             | -                 |
| 15.       | Odisha           | 1410.26                              | 180               | NR            | NR            | -                 |
| 16.       | Rajasthan        | 2614.21                              | 875               | NR            | NR            | -                 |
| 17.       | Sikkim           | NR                                   | 20                | 15            | -             | -                 |
| 18.       | Telangana        | 6712.51                              | 3008              | 122           | 1251          | -                 |
| 19.       | Uttarakhand      | NR                                   | -                 | 4             | 3             | -                 |
| 20.       | Uttar Pradesh    | NR                                   | 345               | 26            | 205           | -                 |
| 21.       | West Bengal      | NR                                   | 173               | 28            | 17            | -                 |
| 22.       | A &NIslands      | NR                                   | 34                | -             | -             | -                 |
| 23.       | Puducherry       | NR                                   | 271               | 1             | NIL           | -                 |
|           | Total            | 134199.84                            | 35382             | 407           | 2072          | 3                 |

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## STATEMENT REFERRED IN REPLY TO PART (c) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.*246 FOR 15.03.2016 REGARDING HOARDING OF PULSES.

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## Steps taken by the Government for increasing availability of pulses:

1. Around 50% of the total allocation of National Food Security Mission (NFSM) is made to NFSM-Pulses  to  increase  the  production  of  pulses  in  the  country  through  area expansion and productivity enhancement. During 2015-16, allocation for NFSM-pulses is  Rs.  640.21  crore  +  Rs.  198.82  crore  as  additional  allocation  for  additional  area coverage of pulses out of total allocation of Rs. 1485.12 Crore under NFSM.
2. Cultivation  of  pulses  as  inter-crop  with  cereals,  oilseeds,  commercial  crops  and  on farm bunds of paddy fields is being promoted to increase the area under pulses.
3. At least 30% of the cluster demonstrations under NFSM and Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India (BGREI) are being conducted by adopting cropping system approach to utilize the paddy fallow area for pulses cultivation.
4. State  Agriculture  Universities  (SAUs)/  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research (lCAR)/ the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) institutes are also involved to address various researchable issues of pulses and demonstrations of latest technologies for better yield realization at farmers' field.
5. New initiatives have been proposed to be included under NFSM from 2016-17. These are creation of seed hubs, enhancing breeder seed production, production subsidy for seed growers, popularization of new varieties through minikits, technology demonstrations,  incentive  for  applying  critical  inputs,  strengthening  of  production units of bio-fertilizers and bio-control agents, mechanization for planting and harvesting  operation,  construction  of  water  harvesting  structures  and  installation  of micro-irrigation systems and training and awareness creation activities.
6. For  front  line  demonstrations  of Rabi pulses  in  2015-16  through  Krishi  Vigyan Kendras  for  spread  of  new  technologies  and  seed  varieties,  an  amount  of  Rs.  12.00 Crores has been sanctioned to ICAR.
7. National Consultation Meeting of the ministers of States/UTs in-charge of Consumer Affairs and Food  held  on  7thJuly,  2015  at  New  Delhi  resolved  to  take  steps  to  keep  prices  of  essential commodities, especially Pulses and onion under control.
8. Advisories  were  issued  to  State  Governments  to  take  strict  action  against  hoarding  &  black marketing  and  effectively  enforce  the  Essential  Commodities  Act,  1955  &  the  Prevention  of Black-marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, 1980.
9. Regular review meetings on price and availability situation are being held.
10. A  Plan  Scheme  titled  Price  Stabilization  Fund  (PSF)  is  being  implemented  to  regulate  price volatility of agricultural commodities.
11. Export of all pulses is banned except kabuli channa and up to 10,000 MTs in organic pulses and lentils.
12. Imports of pulses are allowed at zero duty.
13. Stock limit on pulses extended till 30.9.2016.
14. Minimum Support Price (MSP) (including bonus) raised for kharif pulses, Tur, Urad and Moong. MSP also raised for rabi pulses, Gram and Masoor.
15. Government has decided to create buffer stock of 1.5 lakh MT through domestic procurement and imports. The task has been assigned to FCI, NAFED, SFAC and MMTC. Procurement of Pulses so far  by  FCI,  NAFED and SFAC, as on 27.02.2016, is 50422.52 MT (Urad  - 4891.66 MT, Tur 45530.86 MT). Tenders for 11000 MT of Tur and 7500 MT of Urad has been finalized so far.

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