Pulses import under lens to check black marketing

IMPORT of pulses has come under the scanner of central intelligence agencies to check any black marketing and cartelisation to jack up prices of the commodity.

Officials of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) have alerted the field formation about the possibility of such illegal activities by traders and hoarders, official sources said on Sunday.

About 5.5 million tonne of pulses were imported in the previous fiscal, largely through private traders.

The move assumes significance as prices of pulses have continued to soar and reached R200 per kg in retail.

Various central agencies and the income tax department have been conducting raids across the country for some time to check hoarding. So far, 14,000 raids have been conducted and over 1.33 lakh tonne of pulses seized in past few months, sources said.

The rise in prices of pulses is due to demand-supply gap. As per an estimate, the demand is of 230-240 lakh tonne, whereas the supply is about 170 lakh tonne. With each passing year, there is an increase in demand of pulses by one million tonne, thus making imports necessary.

The possibility of black marketing and illegal trading cannot be wished away as hoarders try to exploit the situation to make profit, they said.

The intelligence agencies have been asked to coordinate among themselves and share actionable inputs to check any wrongdoing, sources said.

The Centre has also decided to send its officers to select countries to decide on “gover nment to gover nment contract” to import pulses by limiting the role of private traders. It has also decided to raise a buffer stock of eight lakh tonne to check price rise, they said.

State governments have also been asked to check hoarders and those involved in black marketing of the commodity. While states such as Tamil Nadu and Gujarat are proactive against hoarders other states need to do more to check it, sources said.