Govt goes all out to keep Atta-Dal Scheme afloat

Amaninder Pal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 28

The Punjab Government, which drew flak for failing to distribute subsidised pulses among over 28 lakh BPL (below poverty line) families last year, is now making efforts to keep the Atta-Dal Scheme afloat till the Assembly elections.

Besides seeking budgetary requirements from the Punjab State Civil Supplies Corporation (Punsup) to keep the scheme running all year round, the state government has also given its nod to purchase the stock of pulses, which would be distributed among the beneficiaries in the second quarter of this financial year.

After a hiatus of around a year, Punsup is distributing chana (gram) for January-March under the scheme. According to sources, pulses were last distributed in the first quarter of 2015. The corporation had stopped procuring pulses afterwards as the state government didn’t clear its pending bills for their purchase, running into hundreds of crores.

Sources stated that after a year’s gap, Punsup recently procured a stock of around 16,600 metric tonnes (MT) of grams, but only after the state government provided the corporation about Rs 99-crore funds.

“Punsup needed to purchase the new stock to distribute pulses from April-June. The government has given assurance to provide budget for the same. We will soon float tenders to procure pulses for their distribution in the second quarter of the 2016-17 fiscal. Now, the scheme will run uninterrupted,” said Punsup Chairman Ajaypal Singh Mirankot.

In 2013, the state had promised to give wheat at Re 1 per kg (maximum 5 kg per month) and pulses at Rs 20 per kg (one kg per month) to each member of BPL families. In October 2014, the prices were raised to Rs 2 and Rs 30 per kg, respectively.

Sources said since Punsup had purchased the stock for January-March at the rate of Rs 59.5 per kg, the state government would have to bear the subsidy burden of about Rs 29.5 per kg.

“We are in the process of finalising the tenders for the procurement of pulses for the second quarter. Whether we will again purchase grams or some varieties of pulses will be decided as per the prevailing rates,” an officer said.