Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan met the Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh in New Delhi on Tuesday and requested him to withdraw the recent order issued by the Agriculture Ministry with regard to minimum support price on wheat.
He apprised the Union Minister of the various projects pending in the ministry for approval and reimbursement of the relief amount distributed by the state government to the farmers for damage caused to their crop due to hailstorm.
The Chief Minister was accompanied by Agriculture Minister Gauri Shankar Bisen, Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Gopal Bhargava and PWD Minister Sartaj Singh and senior officials.
Chouhan said that the recently issued order states that the states should procure the amount of wheat for which they can pay the minimum support prices. If state procures more wheat the central government will not take care of the bonus amount paid to the farmers.
Chouhan expressed his concern and said that the order is against the interest of farmers. We are producing world quality wheat and bumper wheat crop for last two years. The state has been conferred with two consecutive Krishi Karman Awards for highest agriculture production in the country. He urged the Minister to take back the order in the interest of farmers.
He also apprised the Union Minister of the relief which state government has given to farmers whose crops have been destroyed due to hailstorm in 49 districts of the state. He informed that Rs 2800 crore were distributed to the farmers from state's own resources. He requested the Union Minister to reimburse the amount.
The Chief Minister also opposed the new crop insurance scheme initiated by the UPA government. He called for a more practical and advance crop insurance scheme in the interest of the farmers. Chouhan asked for a contingent plan to tackle the situation in case of a weak monsoon.