The Tamil Nadu government has rejected a plea to include red lentils (masoor dal) among the pulses distributed through ration shops, and, as a policy decision, has decided only to procure and distribute tur dal (arhar or pigeon pea).
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The State’s decision to not include red lentils was conveyed through a letter to Sri Sairam Impex, which had filed a petition in the Madras High Court for inclusion of masoor dal and got an order asking the State government to review its decision, by K Gopal, Additional Chief Secretary.
Stating that the State had examined the representation from Sri Sairam Impex, an empanelled supplier of pulses and a lentil importer, the official said the decision to procure only tur dal and Canadian yellow lentil followed “an untoward incident in the past”.
Herculean task
The Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Department had called for a tender to procure lentils in 2017 but it was challenged in the Madras High Court.
“An attempt made by the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation/ Government to procure masoor dal without mixture of kesari dal. The said process being Herculean, the Government as a policy decision to ensure the safety and welfare of its people had decided to only procure tur dal for supply to its special public distribution system,” said the additional chief secretary.
The supply of tur dal through the public distribution system at subsidised rate was a policy based on the “usage pattern of the people of Tamil Nadu”, the official said, rejecting the importers’ plea.
In its petition filed before the Madras High Court, the importer said the non-exclusion of red lentil in the tender is “detrimental to the public exchequer”, and urged that the pulse be included in the subsequent tenders along with other varieties.
The petitioner also pointed to a letter from the Union Department of Consumer Affairs to all States urging them to encourage the use of subsidised chana dal (gram) or red lentils in welfare schemes to replace the more expensive “but more necessarily more nutritious” pulses such as tur dal.
Centre’s offer to TN
The Centre came out with the directive following an upward pressure on tur owing to lower domestic production and urged the States to enforce and monitor stock disclosure by traders, importers, wholesalers, and stockists to check price rise.
In particular, the Department of Consumer Affairs, in the letter dated November 11, 2023, suggested that the Tamil Nadu Government could consider replacing its distribution of tur dal with masoor dal through ration shops and other welfare scheme beneficiaries.
This was because red lentils could easily substitute tur dal, and it was available at “a much more reasonable rate.” “This will reduce the subsidy burden on the State government and also ease the overall consumption demand for tur dal and its prices in the country,” said Rohit Kumar Singh, Secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs.
Singh offered to allocate masoor from buffer stocks at minimum support prices or even a lower price in case the State opts for it for PDS and other welfare schemes.
Justice Anita Sumanth, in her order on February 13, asked the Cooperation, Food, and Consumer Protection Department secretary to hear Sri Sai Impex and “pass orders in accordance with law”.