To deal with the recurring crisis of pulses’ shortage, the Government has set aside Rs500 crore for enhancement of pulses production under National Food Security Mission. Besides, a number of measures have been taken to deal with the problem of abrupt increase in prices of pulses. This includes creation of buffer stock of pulses through procurement at Minimum Support Price and at market price through Price Stabilisation Fund. The Price Stabilisation Fund has been provided with a corpus of Rs900 crore to support market interventions.
“We have to ensure that the benefit of MSP reaches farmers in all parts of the country. Three specific initiatives will be taken up in 2016-17 for this. First, the remaining States will be encouraged to take up decentralised procurement. Second, an online Procurement System will be undertaken through the Food Corporation of India. This will usher in transparency and convenience to the farmers through prior registration and monitoring of actual procurement. Third, effective arrangements have been made for pulses procurement,” Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in his Budget Speech.
A total of 622 districts will be covered under the National Food Security Mission where there will be focused approach to increase production of rice, wheat, pulses, coarse cereals and commercial crops to make the country self-sufficient in food grains.
Besides, the Government has also earmarked Rs115 crores for subsidy on import of pulses. This is to deal with re-imbursement of losses to MMTC, PEC, STC and NAFED on import of pulses, as well as distribution of imported pulses to State Governments. The amount for subsidy on import of pulses was Rs63 crore in the revised estimates of 2015-16.