The Assam food and civil supplies department has ordered 5,000MT of masoor dal in view of a depleting stock of pulses.

Sources in the department said the masoor dal from National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (Nafed) will reach the state within three to four days. After that the department will place another order for 5,000MT of masoor dal.

The daily requirement of pulses in Assam is 1,650MT, of which masoor dal is 60 per cent.

The department is working to make the dal available in the market at Rs 71 per kg as against reports that people now have to buy it for Rs 90 per kg.

“A meeting of the department, chaired by food and civil supplies minister Phani Bhushan Choudhury, on Tuesday discussed the stocks of food items and found that the existing pulses in the state will last around five days,” the source said.

The source said shortage of labour is one of the major problems faced by the department at this moment although there has not been any restriction of movement of essential commodities. “Most of the food grains are brought to the state by train. We have received the cooperation from the railways,” the source said.

The Centre has asked the departments to lift all rice to be distributed among people as relief by April 15 from the godowns of the Food Corporation of India. “Many of the districts have started the lifting the rice and started distributing them,” the source said.

The Centre said 5kg of rice and 1kg of masoor dal will be distributed among financially weak people free of cost. “However, as of now the department has not received any communication regarding free masoor dal. The 5,000MT rice is meant for the open market and not for free distribution,” the source said.