Question : Pulses at Heavy Discount

(a) the details of procurement of pulses from farmers by the Government during each of the last three years;
(b) whether the Government has written letters to all Chief Ministers offering them centrally stocked pulses at a heavy discount at prevailing wholesale prices in their respective States;
(c) if so, the details thereof and the response of the State Government thereto;
(d) whether the discounted price offered by the Union Government is below the procurement cost and if so, the details thereof along with the losses incurred by the Union Government in this regard; and
(e) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to increase the procurement of pulses from farmers during the current year?

THE MINISTER OF STATE
CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)

(a) : Government has procured about 13.14 lakh metric tonnes (LMT), 18.32 LMT and 33.14 LMT of pulses from the farmers at Minimum Support Price (MSP) during 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 (upto 03.12.18) respectively.

(b) and (c) : Yes madam. Of the total stock of pulses procured by the Union Government, 34.88 LMT is offered to States/ UTs for utilisation under various welfare schemes like Mid-day-Meal (MDM), Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Public Distribution System (PDS), etc. with the Central Subsidy of ? 15/- per Kg. This subsidy will be available to States/ UTs on the aforesaid stock up to September 2019 or till this stock lasts, whichever is earlier. Some of the States/ UTs have indicated their requirement of pulses under this scheme.

(d) : As of now, the discounted price offered by the Union Government is below the procurement cost. The discount offered on the stock would entail a subsidy outgo of ? 5232 crores on 34.88 LMT of pulses.

(e) : Based on the requests of the States/ UTs, the Union Government procures up to 25% of the actual production of pulses from the farmers at MSP in the respective States/ UTs under the Price Support Scheme (PSS).
*****