Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh on Wednesday reviewed the status of stock disclosure of Tur and Urad with major pulses producing and consuming states.
The review revealed some discrepancies. While the number of entities registered in the stock disclosure portal has increased, it was observed the actual number of stakeholders in certain States could be higher.
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The quantity of Tur stocks disclosed as compared to production and consumption was also found to be low in certain States.
The states were directed to conduct verification of stocks held by various entities and take strict action on undisclosed stocks under relevant sections of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 and the Prevention of Black marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, 1980.
In order to assess the situation on the ground, the Department of Consumer Affairs has also deputed 12 senior officers to different State Capitals and Districts across major Tur producing and trading centres
The officials will obtain ground level feedback from various market players, millers and storage operators; their feedback would determine further course of action.
Senior officers from Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh attended the review meeting.
The number of entities registered and quantities of stock disclosed were reviewed individually with the States. The areas where thrust needs to be given were highlighted to ensure disclosure by entities such as importers, millers, stockists, traders etc.
To widen the coverage of market players, state governments were asked to look into the data pertaining to FSSAI licences, APMC registration, GST registration, warehouses and custom bonded warehouses.
The states disclosed that they are intensifying surveillance and shared the steps taken to ensure mandatory registration and disclosure of stocks on the stock disclosure portal.
