The government on March 29 said it has decided to keep the import of tur dal and urad dal under free category till March 2023 as part of its efforts to boost domestic supply and keep prices under control.

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"In yet another proactive and pre-emptive measure to augment domestic availability and stabilise prices of essential food commodities, the centre today notified the decision to keep the import of Tur and Urad under 'Free Category' till March 31, 2023," an official statement said.

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The decision has put to rest the speculations regarding the import policy regime for tur and urad in the next fiscal. It also signals a stable policy regime which will benefit all the stakeholders. "The measure will ensure seamless import of these pulses to augment the domestic availability. It is expected that sufficient availability of these pulses will make them available to the consumer at affordable prices," the statement said.

The government had allowed the import of tur, urad, and moong under the ‘free category' with effect from May 15, 2021 and it was valid till October 31, 2021. The free regime in respect of import of tur and urad was thereafter extended till March 31, 2022. This policy measure has been supported with facilitation measures and close monitoring of its implementation by the department/organisation concerned.

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Free category means there will be no restrictions on imports. As per the official statistics of the Department of Consumer Affairs, the all-India average retail price of tur dal as reported on March 28 is Rs 102.99 per kg, which is a drop of 2.4 percent from Rs 105.46 per kg a year ago.

The all-India average retail price of urad dal as on March 28 is Rs 104.3 per kg, which is 3.62 per cent less than Rs 108.22 per kg a year ago.

First Published:Mar 29, 2022 8:55 PM IST