New Delhi: With prices soaring Union finance minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday held an inter-ministerial meeting with his Cabinet colleagues.
During the meeting, there was a discussion on how to increase in sowing area, take action against hoarders, and improve transparency in functioning of private importers. However, the major hope of the Modi government is on a normal monsoon this year to cool off prices.
Agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh, food minister Ram Vilas Paswan, transport minister Nitin Gadkari, commerce minister Nirmala Sitharaman and urban development minister M. Venkaiah Naidu were present during the meeting along with chief economic advisor Arvind Subramanian.
As per the wholesale price index, food inflation doubled to 7.88 per cent in May as against 4.23 per cent in April. Pulses, which are one of main sources of protein for a large section of India’s population, are being sold at Rs 170 per kg, whereas tomato prices too have hit a high of Rs 60-Rs 80 per kilogram in June.
According to sources, Prime minister Narendra Modi also discussed rise in food prices with his ministerial colleagues.
Mr Paswan said that the rise in tomato prices and other vegetables is “seasonal” and such a spike in prices happens around June period and such commodities cannot be stored due to theirshort shelf-life.
He said that said that the Centre has procured about 1.46 lakh million tonnes pulses for buffer stock. “States government have been urged to take the pulses from the buffer stock and sell them not more than Rs 120 kilogram to ensure availability at reasonable prices,” said the minister. But, he said that not many states have shown interest.
He expressed hope with the recent increase in the minimum support price and expected good monsoon, pulses production will get desired boost.
Mr Paswan on Wednesday flagged off mobile vans run by National Cooperative Consumer Federation of India (NCCF) to sell pulses mainly tur and urad at Rs 120 per kg in various parts of Delhi. Outlets of Kendriya Bhandar and Safal are already selling pulses in Delhi and NCR at these rates.
