Centre to import pulses from Myanmar, Africa to increase buffer stocks

New Delhi: With prices soaring and crucial elections coming in UP and Punjab, the Central government is in a combative mode to arrest sharp rise in food prices, especially pluses.

Union finance minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday held an inter-ministerial meeting with his Cabinet colleagues where it was decided to import more pluses from Myanmar and Africa to increase its buffer stocks.

It was also decided that the Centre will release more pulses from its stock to states, wherever there is a demand to be sold at not more than Rs 120 per kilogram. A team will be sent to Myanmar and Africa to explore government-to-government imports of pulses as supplies are estimated to be short by around 70 lakh tonnes due to two straight droughts in many agriculture producing states.

The Centre has also tried to shift a part of the blame on price rise on states, saying that they are also equally responsible for keeping the rates of essential commodities under control.