Steps taken to regulate prices of pulses: Rosaiah

Hyderabad, July 17 (TNN): Finance Minister K Rosaiah on Friday expressed concern over the rising prices of pulses and assured to regulate them within a couple of months.

Talking to media persons here, he admitted that the prices of red gram, green gram, black gram, Bengal gram have hit the roof in the city markets.

He said the government would take all steps to regulate prices in the market and supply them to poor. 

“Only this time, the prices of various pulses have escalated significantly during the past two weeks. A kilogram of red gram that was sold around Rs 70 last week now carries a price tag of about Rs 105 a kg,” he added.

The State Government had reduced the monthly quota of red gram supply from 1 kg for a white ration card holder to half-kilogram unable to control the price rise, he added.

He said that the government has called for global tenders for importing pulses. But it received poor response, he added.

He attributed the soaring prices of pulses to poor rainfall and low production in Maharashtra and Karnataka.