Wheat procurement next week; Punjab , Centre in deadlock over land record
Last week, in a meeting with the Food Corporation of India (FCI), state government officials were categorically told that farmers’ producing land records was a must for this year’s wheat procurement. Punjab says it will face problems implementing this
Punjab’s plans to start wheat procurement next week, with the traditional date being April 1, could run into a hurdle. The state government and the Centre are in a deadlock over the mandatory requirement of land records with the sale of farmers’ produce. Despite repeated requests by the state government for a change or postponement of the condition, the Centre has not yielded.
Last week, in a meeting with the Food Corporation of India (FCI), state government officials were categorically told that farmers’ producing land records was a must for this year’s wheat procurement.
“We will not be able to implement the Centre’s pre-condition from this rabi procurement season, which is set to begin in a few days,” said Punjab food and civil supplies minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu.
The Punjab government expects arrival of 132 lakh tonne of wheat for procurement and the operation winds up in 40-45 days, as the entire state machinery gets involved.
Ashu added that chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh has sent a written communication to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking an audience. “The CM will apprise the PM of difficulties in implementing the decision taken by the Centre’s food and public distribution minister that the FCI is set to implement,” said Ashu, adding that the CMO was expecting an appointment from the PM’s office soon.
On the challenges in implementing the land record rule for the first time in the history of open ended assured procurement at a minimum support price (MSP) in the state, Ashu said to get farad from the revenue department by 10-12 lakh farmers was a big exercise. He add that there was huge cost involved that individual farmers will bear in getting their land record.
“There are other technicalities that will mar the process. Land division has not taken place in a large number of cases, original owners are not alive and land transfer has not been done in the name of legal heirs. At least 25% agriculture land in the state is also on theka (contract),” added Ashu.
3,500 procurement centres planned
Due to surge in covid-19 cases, the food department plans to set up 3,500 procurement centres for wheat. There are 1,850 regular mandis in the state and this is for the second time when additional centres has been created since the pandemic broke out in 2020.
“We target that we can ensure a procurement centre for every 3-4 villages, so that farmers do not gather in large numbers at one place, leading to spread of the coronavirus infection,” Ashu added. On its part, the state government is yet to arrange gunny bags and cash credit limit (CCL) for procurement.
