Much to the discomfort of consumers, retail prices of key pulses have gone up by 45 per cent to 80 per cent since April. Traders in Delhi attributed the escalation in prices to hoarding while some traders blamed unseasonal rain. Increase in petrol and diesel prices has also been cited as one of the reasons for the price hike. Online trading has also been held responsible for soaring prices.
The traders blame cartels for creating an artificial shortage in the market. For instance if moong dal was priced at Rs90 per kg (an increase of 44 per cent) in April, the same is now being sold for Rs130. Urad dal has jumped to Rs120 from Rs70/kg (an increase of 71 per cent); Rajma has now gone up to Rs90/kg from Rs50/kg. Arhar dal is being sold Rs110 while it was Rs70 (increase of 57 per cent) in April.
Interestingly, the prices are increased despite sufficient availability of pulses in the market. Total consumption of processed pulses in Delhi is estimated at 1,000 tonnes monthly. Delhi BJP feels that there is a conspiracy among traders to malign the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and squarely blame him.
As per market data, moong dal has become the costliest pulse in the Capital. The price of chana dal has witnessed a steep hike in the past few days. It is being sold at Rs70 per kg while earlier the rate was Rs45 per kg and masoor dal price was Rs60 per kg earlier while now it is being sold at Rs90 per kg.
Anand, a grocer in Khari Baoli, said, “The prices have risen unexpectedly from Rs90 to Rs130 per kg over the last 30 days. Subsequently, our sale of moong dal has dipped tremendously. People are buying moong in lesser quantity, only half-a-kilo now as compared to two to three kilos earlier.”
Meanwhile, worried over soaring prices, the Delhi Government has advised all the trade associations to cooperate with the State Government in ensuring that pulses, which are essential sources of protein for the poor people are available across Delhi at reasonable prices.
“All concerned were warned against indulging in hoarding or speculative activities. It was decided that as a first step, all wholesalers/millers/importers in Delhi will be required to furnish details of their godowns along with stock position of pulses.
Further, the Department of Food and Civil Supplies was directed to keep a watch so as to ensure that hoarding activities are prevented,” a Press statement said.When asked, BJP MlA Vijender Gupta alleged that the AAP Government is conniving with hoarders and black marketers of pulses.
Gupta stressed that when some unscrupulous wholesale traders of pulses are illegally building-up huge stock of pulses with the help of local, national and foreign mafia exploiting the situation caused by unseasonal rain, the Arvind Kejriwal Government has turned blind eye to their misdeeds.
“As a result of inaction and connivance of the AAP Government, there has been an increase of 50 per cent to 75 per cent in rates of pulses at retail level during the last one month alone,” he said.
The BJP MlA said that the AAP Government had issued public notice last week informing the limit of stock that traders can make.
“It is clear that the limit of stock for pulses for wholesalers is 2,000 quintals and for retailers 50 quintals, but today hoarders and black marketers of pulses have already stocked up to 20,000 to 50,000 quintals in their godowns. They have already cornered a clear profit of crores during the last one month,” he alleged.