Congress says pulses crisis ‘man-made’, slams government

A day after Rahul Gandhi derided Prime Minister as “Arhar Modi”, the Congress on Friday stepped up the attack on the government, alleging that the pulses “crisis” is a “man-made scam” of Rs 2.5 lakh crore in which the common man was “robbed” of by profiteers, hoarders and black marketers.

The party’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala demanded that the Prime Minister must answer and take “decisive action” against those who “fleeced” the ordinary citizen in the last 15 months.

“People of India have paid 150 per cent to 200 per cent extra for pulses alone during 15 months of Modi government i.e. April, 2015 to July, 2016. This comes to over Rs 2,50,000 crore for this period. It is a man-made crisis of great magnitude and proportion under the very nose of Modi government... with the covert and overt support of the Modi government,” Mr Surjewala said.

“This daylight robbery is clearly discernible when one compares the MSP/import price of pulses (even after adding Rs 5 per kg of processing fee plus Rs 10 per kg of transportation charges plus Rs 5 per kg of profit) as against the actual sale price to ordinary consumer”, Mr Surjewala said.

Noting the MSP of pulses, as also imported pulses was in the range of Rs 40 to Rs 50, he said that this clearly showed that price of domestically produced or imported pulses cannot be more than '60-65 per kg.

“As against this, price of pulses has been ranging between Rs 130 to Rs 200 per kg since April, 2015 till today i.e. July, 2016. Hence, it is clear that the average price of pulses has been in the range of Rs 150 per kg in the last 15 months.

Thus, profiteering of Rs 85/90 per kg (Rs 150 per kg of average price minus Rs 60/65 per kg of final sale price) is writ large.”, he alleged.

He said when multiplied by 23 million tonne (2.30 crore tonne) of annual consumption of pulses, this figure comes to Rs 2,50,000 crore for a 15 months period between April, 2015 to July, 2016.

He alleged that “long windows” of ‘no stock limit’ in big states of Gujarat and Maharashtra ruled by the BJP were used by hoarders and black marketeers to push the prices of pulses at an insurmountable high of Rs 150 to Rs 200 per kg.

Elaborating the “long windows”, he said restriction on stock limits on pulses were lifted by Gujarat government on 30.09.2013, then headed by Narendra Modi as Chief Minister. On 27.09.2013, UPA government decided to extend the validity of restriction on stocking of pulses, edible oils and edible oil seeds for a further one year i.E. 30.09.2013 to 30.09.2014.

“Gujarat government headed by Modi, however, refused to extend the order beyond 30.09.2013 despite a specific recommendation by Director, Food & Civil Supplies, andhinagar. This is apparent from the copy of documents available under RTI.”, he said.