Facing flak for slow process of wheat procurement in the State, the Punjab Government on Wednesday claimed that the entire system would be put in place in a day's time. The Government maintained that the State agencies would lift the wheat crop at full minimum support price (MSP). Besides, it has announced that the value cut on the grains, imposed by the Centre, would not be passed on to the farmers and would be borne by the State Government.
All the agencies would be lifting the grains from tomorrow...We have resolved the issue. Earlier there was some confusion, but from tomorrow, all agencies would be lifting wheat from mandis at the fixed MSP of Rs1,450," the state Agriculture Minister Tota Singh told The Pioneer.
He said the State Cabinet in its meeting on Wednesday evening has taken this decision to save the farming community. The State Government was facing flak from the state's farming community, which is already reeling under the unforeseen weather conditions, for not lifting the grains from the mandis which are facing a glut across the state.
As the State Government agencies are staying away from the lifting of wheat crop, the farmers were forced to sell their produce at lower rates to the private agencies. However, the state Cabinet has decided that the farmers' produce would be procured at "full MSP". "We have asked all the officers concerned to ensure that the farmers get full price of their produce, that is Rs1450," said Tota Singh. The State's Food and Civil Supplies Minister Adaish Partap Singh Kairon added, "With confusion in the air getting cleared, instructions have been issued to all agencies to step up procurement of wheat from all the purchase centers of the state." "All the deputy commissioners have also directed to submit
daily report to the special control room regarding the arrival and lifting movement of wheat to the warehouses besides regular payments made to the farmers," he said. The Cabinet, in its meeting, reviewed the elaborate arrangements for the wheat procurement during the Rabi Marketing Season 2015-16, and resolved to bail out the farmers by extending all possible help in ensuring smooth, timely and hassle-free lifting of grains.
The State Government has decided to bear the price of value cut, imposed by the Centre. "No farmer would be allowed to suffer due to vagaries of weather as the State Government would bear the value cut due to broken, shriveled and lusterless grain as announced by the relaxation in uniform norms for procurement of wheat for the RMS-2015-16," said Kairon.
He said that he personally took the case of the state's farmers to the Union Food Ministry, and impressed upon them that it was the moral responsibility of the Union Government to come to the aid of the farmers who had made India self-reliant on food security front by working day and night. "Union Food Ministry was sympathetic in the case of Punjab farmers. Punjab Government is standing with the farmers in this hour of distress," he said.
"Punjab Government requested the Centre to allow purchase of wheat howsoever it was damaged due to recent rains. But, the Central Government has imposed a value cut on damaged and shriveled grains which would reduce the MSP by at least Rs14 per quintal," said the government spokesperson.
He said that the state government would soon "take up the matter of value cut with the Centre and unequivocally decided to procure the crop of farmers at MSP in any case". The Centre has fixed MSP for wheat as Rs1450 per quintal for the current marketing season. A spokesperson said that necessary arrangements for required storage space and stock article had already been completed and a network of 1810 purchase centres has been notified by the Punjab Mandi Board and allotment of mandis to six procurement agencies have been made as per their allotted share by the state government.
The State agencies would procure estimated 100 lakh million tonnes (lMT), adding up to 80 percent, and the Food Corporation of India (FCI) is expected to procure 25 lMT, that is 20 percent, wheat during the ongoing procurement drive. Till Tuesday, around 4.26 lMT wheat has been procured in Punjab, against over 18 lMT in the neighbouring Haryana, since April 1. The government agencies has procured 3.87 lMT, that is 91 percent, for the central pool, while the private traders have procured 38,235 MT, that is just nine percent, of wheat.
The farmers have been alleging the State for its apathetic attitude that has forced them to sell the produce at lower rates. "The farmers were forced to sell the produce at Rs100 to Rs200 less than the MSP. No agency has come to pick up the grains," said Bhartiya Kisan Union national president and former MP Bhupinder Singh Mann.