MP govt withdrawing from wheat-paddy procurement process, putting onus on Centre, alleges Cong

Bhopal, Nov 3 (PTI) The Congress on Monday accused the Mohan Yadav government in Madhya Pradesh of withdrawing from the process of procuring wheat and paddy from farmers at Minimum Support Price (MSP).

The opposition party said the BJP government in the state, citing huge debts, has requested the Centre to procure paddy and wheat directly through Food Corporation of India (FCI).

The MP government must not make any change in the procurement process at MSP, Congress leaders Kamal Nath, Jitu Patwari and Umang Singhar said in posts on X.

"Due to the extremely complex FCI procurement process, a large number of farmers' produce may be rejected, forcing them to sell their hard-earned yield to private traders at throwaway prices. The MP government has requested the Union government to purchase paddy and wheat directly through the FCI, citing the Civil Supplies Corporation's debt of Rs 77,000 crore," Nath said.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has written a letter to Union Minister Prahlad Joshi on this, he claimed.

"The BJP had promised farmers increased MSP for wheat and paddy during the 2023 assembly elections, but now its government is backing out from the process of purchasing wheat and paddy at MSP," he claimed.

"I demand from the government that no changes be made to the procurement process at the minimum support price, as this will put crores of farmers in the state in trouble," Nath said.

Patwari, sharing a letter written by Yadav to Union Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Joshi on X, wrote that farmers will suffer losses and millions of quintals of wheat will again be rejected in the name of quality standards if procurement is done by FCI.

"Farmers will once again be forced to sell their hard-earned produce at throwaway prices to market conditions and private traders. #Farmers will once again suffer losses," said Patwari, the state Congress chief.

"I oppose this decision of the Chief Minister. I want to tell the BJP government to immediately withdraw this policy of economic exploitation of farmers," he added.

Leader of Opposition Singhar said whenever the time comes for purchase of paddy and wheat, the state government shifts responsibility to the Centre.

"You promised during the elections that you would purchase wheat for Rs 2,700 and paddy for Rs 3,100. Two years have passed, and farmers are still suffering. Chief Minister Yadav must immediately begin the purchase of paddy and wheat and understand the farmers' plight," Singhar said.

Attempts to contact state agriculture minister Aidal Singh Kansana were in vain. PTI BNS MAS BNM