Adani Warehousing seeks nod for storing, domestic sale of imported lentils

Adani Warehousing Services, a unit in Mundra SEZ, has sought the government’s approval for warehousing of imported yellow peas and red lentil for further sale in the domestic market outside the SEZ.

The request will be examined by the Board of Approval (BoA) for SEZs in its meeting next week.

“The unit has sought amendments in the BoA’s decision of 2016 in which it imposed restrictions on allowing import of the lentil into or out of the domestic tariff area (DTA),” according to the proposal submitted to the BoA for consideration in the meeting scheduled on February 5.

The unit had applied to Development Commissioner APSEZ for allowing import and re-export of yellow peas/red lentils. This proposal was approved by the BoA in January 2016. However, the approval was subject to the condition that no import of yellow peas/pulses and red lentils will be allowed into or out of DTA.

Adani Warehousing sought clarification on whether it can warehouse imported goods, which are freely importable, for further sale into DTA or not. It argued that the restriction on import of yellow peas/pulses and red lentils into DTA is contrary to the Foreign Trade Policy and SEZ Act and rules.

It said that the FTP states that items which are freely importable can be imported into DTA without any authorisation of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) or the BoA.

The DC, APSEZ, in his comments submitted to the BoA, stated that there is a ban on exporting the items yellow peas and red lentils but are freely importable under the current FTP.

“The BoA will now examine if the arguments put forward by Adani Warehousing in favour of import of the lentil into or out of the DTA holds good and whether the earlier decision on restricting imports should be amended,” a government official told BusinessLine .

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