Proposal to raise procurement ceiling for pulses okayed

New Delhi, August 31

The Centre today approved a proposal to increase the procurement ceiling for tur, urad and masur under the price support scheme (PSS) and also decided to allocate 15 lakh tonne of surplus chana to states at a discounted rate.

The government said the decision was taken during a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by PM Narendra Modi. The PSS, under the Agriculture Ministry, is operationalised only when prices of agriculture produce fall below the minimum support price (MSP). On the other hand, the price stabilisation fund (PSF), which is under the Food Ministry, commodities are purchased at market prices.

“The CCEA has approved enhancement of ceiling on the quantity of procurement under PSS from existing 25 per cent to 40 per cent in respect of tur, urad and masur,” the government said.

The CCEA also approved allocation of chana to states and UTs at a discounted rate to be utilised for various welfare schemes from the stock procured under the PSS and PSF. The states will be offered to lift 15 lakh tonne of chana at a discount of Rs 8 per kg over the issue price of the sourcing state on a “first come, first serve” basis, it added.