Centre likely to end zero import duty on certain pulses

The Government Aims to Achieve Self-Sufficiency by 2027 by Ramping Up Local Output

- Zia Haq

NEW DELHI: An interministerial panel on prices led by Union home and cooperation minister Amit Shah is in the process of reviewing the current duty-free regime governing the import of certain pulses and is likely to reimpose tariffs on some varieties, such as yellow peas, as recommended by the food ministry, two people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

The move to levy duties, the government hopes, will give farmers better returns, encouraging them to grow more. India currently relies on imports of pulses to meet the total domestic demand. The government aims to achieve self-sufficiency by 2027 by ramping up local output, food minister Pralhad Joshi recently said at a meeting of the pulses traders' association.