Deadlock over bajra procurement

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR, OCT. 13. Procurement of bajra from farmers in Rajasthan at the officially announced minimum support price (MSP) of Rs.485 a quintal continues to be an unresolved issue with the State and the Centre trying to put the responsibility on each other.The current season's bajra output in the State is estimated at over 29 lakh tonnes, of which at least 7 lakh tonnes have to be procured to keep the prices at a remunerative level for the farmers.

The other day the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly,Mr.Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, led a party delegation to the State Governor,Mr.Justice Anshuman Singh, to submit a memorandum seeking his directive to the State Government on purchase of bajra.Only two days back the Rajasthan PCC president,Dr.Girija Vyas, had met the Governor to request him to take up the issue of bajra purchase with the Centre.

The Centre, which announced the MSP for bajra the previous month itself, on its part did not make any arrangement for its procurement but suggested that the State could procure it for distribution though the public distribution system. The Centre promised to reimburse the difference between the economic cost and the issue price.However, the details of procurement such as the funds,the procurement agency and the storage were never worked out.

The Chief Minister,Mr.Ashok Gehlot, talking to a group of newspersons on Friday made it clear that in the present situation the State Government was unable to procure bajra at MSP.The State was willing to purchase the grain from farmers if the Centre provided funds as well as storing space. ``Despite the bad experience last season, we are still willing to ask Rajfed to start buying bajra at MSP but we need at least these two basic assurances,'' Mr.Gehlot noted.

Mr.Gehlot charged that the Centre was delaying the procurement of bajra at MSP only to benefit the traders. ``During the time of barley procurement also we had come across grain merchants selling to the Government at MSP after initially buying it from farmers at distress rates,'' he charged.

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Section  : Other States
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