New Delhi, Sep 11 (IANS): An additional 5,000 tonnes of tur dal was decided to be imported to moderate the spiralling retail prices of pulses through increasing availability in domestic market, the central government announced here on Friday.

"In a high-level committee meeting held here today (Friday), the government has decided to import an additional 5,000 tonnes of tur dal to increase the availability and control prices of pulses," an official statement said.

This is in addition to the import of 10,000 tonnes of tur and urad pulses, whose consignment would reach by September 23.

The government has formed a committee, under the chairmanship of Consumer Affairs Secretary C Viswanath to monitor the availability and prices of essential commodities.

The committee has directed various agencies to supply imported pulses through retail outlets in the states.

To control spiralling prices of pulses and onions, the union government has taken series of policy initiatives such as imposing stock limits on pulses, requesting state governments to take strict action against hoarding and black-marketing, the statement said.

Besides suspending future trading in pulses like urad and tur, the export of pulses has been banned and duty reduced to zero on import of pulses, it added