New Delhi, Oct 26 (IANS): Four states, including Gujarat, have started selling tur dal at a lower price of Rs.120-Rs.145 per kg at retail centres.

Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are distributing one kilogram of tur dal at a highly subsidised rate of Rs.50 through ration shops, while Tamil Nadu is selling urad and Canadian lentils at Rs.30 per kg.

"Besides continuing enforcement measures to check hoarding of pulses, state governments have taken proactive steps to make pulses available at reasonable prices... these initiatives by states will help in keeping prices of pulses at affordable rates," an official release issued by the consumer affairs ministry said on Monday.

According to reports received from the states, the rate of tur dal for retail distribution has been fixed at Rs.140 per kg in Gujarat, Rs.120-Rs.140 in Chhattisgarh and Rs.145 in Uttarakhand.

The Centre had asked the state governments to have a meeting with millers, wholesalers and retailers to make pulses available in retail markets at reasonable prices, it added.

In Gujarat, millers have agreed to supply tur dal at Rs.135 per kg, the wholesalers will charge one percent commission on it, while in Chhattisgarh, one-two kg of tur dal is being sold at Rs.120-Rs.140 per kg in 17 districts through 150 outlets.

In Uttarakhand, tur dal is being supplied at Rs.145 per kg in Dehradun, Haridwar as well as Udhamsingh Nagar and instructions have been given to all districts to provide pulses at this rate via ration shops in the state.

Stating that some states are already selling pulses through the public distribution system (PDS), the ministry said: "Both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are distributing one kilogram of tur dal at Rs.50 per kg for Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) families."