Government's pulses' subsidy brings lakhs into ‘nutrition net’

NEW DELHI: A single decision has brought lakhs of poor under the “nutrition net” who earlier did not have the luxury of having dal (pulses) in their daily meals, by offering the key food item to state governments from the central buffer at subsidised rates.

In the past three months, at least one lakh tonnes of pulses have been lifted by the states availing the scheme in the past three months and another 4.5 lakh tonnes will be released soon to states, which can only be distributed to the poor under PDS or can be used for welfare schemes.



State-owned agriculture cooperative Nafed said that the states have already made payment for 3.3 lakh tonnes of pulses from the central stock. Three months back, the government had started the scheme to offer Rs 15 subsidy per kg to the states that place their orders. The subsidy is given to the states after carrying out an assessment of the average wholesale prices of previous month. “Because of this subsidy, the pulses are generally made available to the targeted beneficiaries of the welfare schemes at half of the prevailing retail price ,” Nafed managing director Sanjeev K Chadha said.