‘Pulses are hoarded overseas’

The government has rece-ived a representation alleging hoarding of pulses by big traders and importers in “a foreign country”, Parliament was informed on Tuesday.

“A representation alle-ging hoarding of pulses by big traders or importers in foreign country has been received,” food minister Ram Vilas Paswan said in a reply to the Lok Sabha.

“Under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, and the Prevention of Black-marketing and Maintenance of Suppies of Essential Commodities Act, 1980, action can be taken against domestic hoarding only,” he added.

He was replying to a query on whether the government has taken note of the fact that the Confederation of All India Traders has held big retail companies responsible for the current scarcity of pulses.The advisories for action against hoarding have been issued to all states and Union Territories.