8 months on, no atta, dal for beneficiaries

Amaninder Pal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 6

Over one crore beneficiaries of the Atta-Dal Scheme in the state will not get their quota of subsidised pulses of the last eight months i.e. from April to November.

As the state government didn’t provide funds, the Punjab State Civil Supplies Corporation (PUNSUP) — which distributes pulses on behalf of the state government — couldn’t purchase subsidised pulses meant for the poor since March, this year.

Now, skipping the purchase of stock required to clear the pending quota of eight months, PUNSUP had last week floated tenders to purchase a stock of 4,300 metric tonne, which is meant only for December.

This means that the state government will not distribute subsidised pulses meant for the entire second and third quarter (April to June and July to September) and two months of the last quarter.

Under the scheme, the government is bound to provide 1 kg pulses per month to every beneficiary at the rate of Rs 30 per kg.

PUNSUP Managing Director Dr Bhupinder Pal Singh expressed inability to comment stating that he had assumed his office “just a few days ago”.

However, a senior official revealed, “Had PUNSUP intended to purchase the pending stock, it would have invited tenders to procure the stock first meant for the second and then the third quarter. Floating tenders exclusively for the purchase of pulses for December means that the quota of eight months, from April to November, stands lapsed.”

Sources also revealed that PUNSUP had been told by the state government to arrange funds on its own to purchase the new stock of pulses meant to be distributed in December. “PUNSUP will have to arrange Rs 35 crore to purchase the stock,” said sources.

Earlier, in August, PUNSUP had floated tenders to purchase 16,500 metric tonne of pulses after the state government assured it to provide Rs 93 crore required to purchase the stock meant for the second quarter (April to June). However, the state government didn’t release the funds.