New Delhi. The Central Government has taken an important and strict decision in the interest of farmers across the country. In a high-level meeting held in New Delhi, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan gave clear instructions that if crop prices in the market go below the Minimum Support Price (MSP), then any laxity in the government procurement system will not be tolerated.
Procurement system will be made in mission mode
The Agriculture Minister has instructed the officials that the crop procurement process should not be considered a mere formality but should be run like a mission. He said that concrete planning should be made in advance after assessing the production and possible arrivals in every district. Instructions have been given to pay special attention to pulses and oilseed crops like gram, lentils, urad and mustard, because in many places their market prices are below the MSP.
Improvement in purchasing centers and payment system
It was also decided in the meeting that the number of procurement centres, their capacity and local problems would be regularly monitored. Considering timely payment to farmers as the most important issue, instructions have been given to make strict rules to ensure payment within 72 hours.
Emphasis on better coordination with states
Payment delays and technical problems in states like Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh were also discussed in the meeting. The government has said that the Center and the states will together remove these obstacles soon so that the farmers do not face problems.
The goal of a transparent and strong system
The Agriculture Minister said that the government aims to create a procurement system that is completely transparent, accountable and effective. For this, National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation and National Cooperative Consumer Association have also been instructed to speed up the reform process.
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