Nagpur: In Nagpur, the traditionally favorite meal essential tur dal has breached its previous price highs to settle at Rs 150 a kg. However. the rising price has also brought the total decline in the quality of pulses. For the past few days, large number of consumers across various grocery zones have been complaining of the bitter and unpleasant taste of cooked tur dal.
“The taste has really gone away from the expensive tur dal that we have been purchasing from the neighbourhood grocery stores. It is getting bitter by the day as if some other contents are mixed into it,” complained one of the housewives who have been struggling with the price rise and equally trying hard to get that taste.
Dal mein kaala
There is a proverb in Hindi – Dal mein kuch kaala hai..(there is something fishy) and then there is a befitting reply – Puri Dal hi Kaali hai (Everything is suspicious). This saying goes well with the prevailing situation wherein people are paying high price for the low quality of tur dal.
Of late, the prices of all the variety of pulses has gone alarmingly up, making it beyond the reach of common man. Tur dal is ruling the price charts as it is selling at Rs 135 to Rs 150 a kilo, and that too of unpleasant taste.
Quality goes down with price rise
A grocery owner told Nagpur Today that the taste is bound to change whenever tur dal touches new price high. “It is a routine thing that whenever the price of pulses goes up, its quality touches bottom low. We have been receiving series of complaints regarding the bitter taste of tur dal from most of our regular customers.”
Adulteration is possible
Another grocery buyer said that now a days the tur dal is tasting as if some other thing is mixed into it. Even sources did not rule out the possibility of adulteration as they pointed out towards a coarse grain which look like tur dal and when mixed with it, tastes bitter.
Big stores too sell bitter dal
Leave aside the neighbourhood grocery vendors, even the big stores like Big Bazaar and Super Bazaars are also selling the same bitter tasting tur dal. One of the super store owner also admitted that the quality of tur dal has diminished to poor level these days and they have been receiving the complaints from their regular buyers. “However we are helpless and we are only selling whatever we are being supplied though we always look for the best quality pulses”, he added.
FDA officials turn ignorant
The situation pertaining to adulterated tur dal has been prevailing for long time but the Food and Drug Administration officials have turned a blind eye towards the supply. “The tur dal stock should be duly checked for adulteration and any fault should be strictly dealt with,” demanded some of the citizens at the grocery store.
No check in festive season
Market experts have warned of more such poor quality pulses, as they doubted the adulteration in these expensive commodities in view of festive season. Owing to the increase in demand during Ganesh festival followed by Navratra, the price doesn’t appear to come down soon. “However the prime concern has now been shifted to the purity of these pulses. It is high time those indulging in malpractice must be brought to the book,” quipped one of the buyers.
