Govt pulls up retailers for high prices of pulses, unwarranted margins

Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare warned retailers on Tuesday that the government will take action if the benefit of fall in wholesale prices of pulses is not passed on to the consumer. Chairing a meeting with the Retailers Association of India and major organised retail chains, the secretary said the diverging trends between wholesale and retail prices are indicative of increasingly unwarranted margins that retailers are extracting, according to an official release.

“The trends are being closely tracked and necessary measures will have to be initiated if the divergences are found to be widening,” the release said. Prices of tur and urad have declined in major markets by almost 10 per cent during the last three months, but retail prices have not seen a similar decline, the release said, quoting the secretary.

On availability, the secretary said urad and moong have started arriving in markets while imports of tur and urad from East African countries and Myanmar are arriving steadily to augment the domestic production, according to the release. The comfortable domestic availability situation is also evident from the fact that the stocks disclosed by big-chain retailers on the government's portal have been increasing every week, the release said.

Considering the current availability situation and easing of wholesale prices, the secretary asked the retail industry to extend all possible support to the government in its efforts to keep prices of pulses affordable, the release said.