Continue free grain scheme, urge 10 CMs

Continue free grain scheme, urge 10 CMs

Record Buy Of Wheat At 382L Tonnes

Sidhartha@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:  18.06.2020

Government procurement of wheat has scaled a new peak with purchases this year topping 382 lakh tonnes, with the 390 lakh tonnes mark now in sight with two weeks to go for the season to end. The development comes at a time when at least 10 state chief ministers have approached the Centre to continue the scheme to provide 5kg grains to the poor for free to help them combat the dislocation caused by Covid 19.

Additional 5kg of free foodgrains under the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana are available only up to this month, prompting CMs cutting across party lines pitching for an extension of three months, sources told TOI. From BJP-ruled Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Assam to Congress-ruled Punjab and Rajasthan or Bihar, where BJP has a coalition with Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), states want additional grains as several migrant workers have returned home for want of work. A final decision on the issue is expected to be taken over the next few days. But the procurement numbers are expected to provide a much-needed comfort to the Centre, given that stocks are near a record high of around 970 lakh tonnes, almost two-and-a-half times the buffer requirement at the start of July.

While there were fears that the lockdown may impact procurement, which was delayed and will only end at the last week of June, Food Corporation of India and the state government machinery have ensured a near-glitch free operation, while also ensuring that sufficient stocks were available across the country to meet the requirement of twice the quota of grains for the 80 crore poor covered by the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana.

With less than a fortnight to go, FCI is expecting Uttar Pradesh, which has been one of the laggards in procurement, to purchase around three-four lakh tonnes, while another another two lakh tonnes are expected from Rajasthan, which is set to scale a new peak. Madhya Pradesh, which has for the first time beaten Punjab in wheat procurement, may buy another one lakh tonnes, sources said.

With less than a fortnight to go, FCI is expecting UP to purchase around 3-4 lakh tonnes of wheat, while another 2 lakh tonnes are expected from Rajasthan, which is set to scale a new peak