MUMBAI: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) on Wednesday pointed that despite the Centre’s allocation of tur dal at subsidised rates, the Maharashtra government failed to sell it in the open market, leading to spikes in prices during 2015-16. The state suffered a loss of Rs 1.78 crore on account of the unsold stocks of tur dal that were rendered unfit for human consumption.
The report, which was tabled in the state Assembly, observed that the state’s decision to purchase tur dal locally through NCDEX at higher rates resulted in avoidable extra expenditure of Rs 2 crore. The state did not avail of subsidies allocated by the Centre, according the report.
Maharashtra witnessed an unprecedented price rise of pulses especially tur dal, due to drought conditions consecutively in the year 2014 and 2015. The monthly average retail price of tur dal in Mumbai had increased up toRs 129 per kg in August 2016.
“Scrutiny of records (October 2016) of the food, civil supplies and consumer protection department, Government of Maharashtra (GoM) revealed that Government of India (GoI) had allocated (May 2016) 776.813 MT of tur at the rate ofRs 66 per kg to the GoM under the Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF Scheme) with assurance of additional allocation of tur. The GoI further allocated 1,994.381 MT (June 2016) and 1,581.092 MT (July 2016) tur respectively (sic),” the report said.
The CAG observed that state government took about three months for its lifting, milling, packaging and transportation to private agencies and sold the tur dal in the open market only in August 2016.
The decision of GoM to purchase 7,008 MT tur dal through NCDEX at an average rate ofRs 102.12 per kg and its distribution to the AAY and BPL card holders through TPDS was not prudent since they did not even lift 3,575.473 MT of tur released by the GoI at subsidised rates of Rs 66 per kg, observed the report, adding that it cost Rs 2 crore to the state exchequer.
