April 5 : The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies imported the medicines worth Rs one and a half billion and the related raw materials amounting to Rs 342 million after the national lockdown was imposed on March 24.
Similarly, 1,23, 627 metric tonnes of food grains, 35, 131 metric tonnes of lentils, 52 , 479 metric tonnes of vegetables, 16,862 metric tonnes of fruits and 11,059 metric tonnes of dairy products have been imported over the last one and half a month.
According to the Ministry, the imports of food materials saw an uptick after the announcement of the lockdown. It stated that the import of food grains increased by 136 per cent and that of lentils and beans by 85 per cent in the fifth week of the lockdown compared to the first week. Similarly, the import of vegetables and fruits rose by 39 per cent and 316 per cent respectively during this period.
