Kolkata: The state Food and Supplies department is taking all possible measures to distribute pulses through Public Distribution System (PDS) with effect from June 15. 6.1 lakh people in the state who are National Food Security Act (NFSA) ration card holders will be the beneficiaries who will be getting 1 kg of pulses per family. "We have decided to hand over pulses (masoor dal) to NFSA card holders from June 15. Arrangements are being made for ensuring stock at all ration shops across the state," said Jyotipriya Mallick, state Food and Supplies minister. He said that pulses will be handed over in three phases from June 15 to 30, from July 15 to 30 and from August 15 to 30. The Centre soon after the lockdown was imposed due to COVID -19 pandemic had announced that they will be distributing pulses across the country through ration shops free of cost from the month of April. National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) was entrusted with the responsibility of arranging distribution of pulses. The monthly requirement of pulses under PDS system in Bengal is 14450 metric tonne. NAFED has already stocked over 14529 metric tonne. Biswambhar Basu, general secretary of All India Fair Price Shop Dealers Association pointed out that according to standard norms the state needs to have a stock of at least one month to kick off the distribution process. "Around 4 lakh people in the state who are under the Khadya Sathi Scheme of the state government will be deprived of this facility. The state government has written to the centre urging it to supply more pulses so that these 4 lakh people also get the share of pulses considering the COVID-19 pandemic situation," Basu added. The state has also requested the centre to consider sending moong dal instead of masoor as per their availability and suitability. The state needs to import 5 lakh metric tonne of moong and masoor variety of pulses in a year. A number of states particularly those which are ruled by BJP has already started giving pulses through ration but the distribution in Bengal could not be started because of dearth in supply.

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