Mungantiwar presses Bhujbal on paddy procurement; Finance files ordered within two days

Problems in the procurement of paddy came up for discussion at a meeting in Mumbai, where MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar argued the case of farmers, the operators of procurement centres and the agencies working with them. The meeting was presided over by Chhagan Bhujbal, the minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection. It looked in particular at the difficulties faced by centres in the Nagpur division that buy paddy under the minimum support price scheme.

Mungantiwar said growers must be paid fairly and on time for their labour, and must not suffer because of lapses in the buying process. Taking note of his demands and his steady follow-up, Bhujbal instructed at the meeting itself that files on the pending payments and demands be forwarded to the Finance Department within two days.

A number of legislators and an MP took part. Praful Patel attended as MP. The MLAs present were Rajkumar Badole, Vijay Rahangdale, Sneha Dubey Pandit, Ramdas Masram, Krishna Gajbe, Avinash Brahmankar, Vinod Agrawal, Parinay Fuke and Nana Patole. Other elected representatives, secretaries of the departments concerned and senior officials were also in the room.

The first concern Mungantiwar stressed was that grain is not collected promptly once it has been bought. This, he said, hurts both the farmers and the centres. He asked for a proper decision on relief for the loss in weight that results from the delay, and for a workable arrangement to pick up and transport the purchased stock in the shortest possible time. In his view, grain raised through a farmer's hard labour sitting unattended at a centre is not a mere administrative matter. It reflects the financial strain on the farmer, and the response should be shaped by that understanding.

He also pointed to a shortage of gunny bags, which holds up buying, and urged that the full requirement be supplied before the procurement season opens. On storage, he said the rent now paid for godowns hired to keep paddy has not kept pace with rising costs, and should be reviewed and raised to a realistic level.

Another key proposal was a dedicated portal for paddy procurement, meant to bring transparency, coordination and effective monitoring. Details of purchases, stock in hand, lifting, transport, godown arrangements and payments to farmers could be seen in one system. Mungantiwar said the portal would show the reasons for any delay straight away, so that remedies could be applied in time.

On payments, he asked that a separate fund be provided, or created if none exists, so that farmers are not left waiting needlessly for money they have earned. He said the income from selling paddy underpins the next sowing season, the needs of the household and the family's financial planning, and that late payment cannot be accepted in any circumstances. With milling costs on the rise, he further asked that the milling rate be reviewed and increased realistically. He made several more suggestions to make the centres work better, ensure that paddy is lifted and moved at once, build a sturdy system for storage and upkeep, and clear administrative and financial obstacles from the process.

Bhujbal responded favourably to Mungantiwar's points and to the other demands raised by the elected representatives. The department concerned was told to submit to the Finance Department, within two days, the files on every bill and demand that needs that department's sanction. It was also told to take up with the Centre, without delay, the funds the state government has yet to receive.

The minister further ordered a comparative study of how other states run paddy procurement and milling, covering their schemes, policies, rates and procedures. A report based on it is to be presented so that a practical and effective policy can be framed for Maharashtra. The departments involved were asked to coordinate their work so that no avoidable delay creeps into lifting, transport and storage once paddy has been bought, and to make sure that farmers are not kept waiting unnecessarily for payment for the grain they have sold.