Retail tur prices hit Rs 200/kg, add to consumers' pain

New Delhi, Oct 19: Retail tur dal prices today shot up to Rs 200 per kg despite the government's steps to boost supply and check prices, aggravating consumers' woes.

Till last week, tur was available at Rs 185 per kg in the retail market. The prices of pulses have increased unabated in the last few months due to a fall in domestic output by about 2 million tonnes (mt) to 17.20 mt in 2014-15 crop year (July-June) owing to deficient monsoon and unseasonal rains.

As per the data maintained by the Consumer Affairs Ministry, the maximum retail price of tur, also known as arhar dal, soared to Rs 200 per kg today, as against Rs 85 per kg in the year-ago period.

In the last five years, retail tur prices were ruling in the range of Rs 74-85 per kg, the data showed. Urad too is retailing high at Rs 170 per kg today though it declined from Rs 187 per kg last week, but rates are still way higher than Rs 98 per kg that prevailed a year earlier.

Despite the government taking several measures, including imports and curbs on hoarding, to improve domestic supply, the prices of these two pulses have failed to cool. To provide relief to the common man, the government is selling imported tur at subsidised rates in Delhi via 400 Kendriya Bhandar and Mother Dairy's Safal outlets.

Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu governments have also started selling imported tur dals. In a bid to prevent hoarding, the government had yesterday imposed stock limits on pulses held by departmental stores, licensed food processors, importers and exports. There are stock limits already on traders. That's not all.

The state-owned MMTC has imported 5,000 tonnes of tur dal and floated revised tenders for import of 2,000 tonnes of chickpeas and is planning to float fresh bids for overseas purchase of additional tur dal to boost supply. The Centre has asked all state governments to take the subsidised imported pulses from MMTC and supply in their states to bring down prices.

PTI