11 August,2021 08:51 AM IST | New Delhi | IANS
Farmers plant seedlings at a paddy field. Pic/AFP
The Maharashtra government has constituted a joint committee of five members including the District Magistrate of Bhandara and Gondia revenue districts and the Divisional Manager of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) on the paddy procurement issue, the Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.
"The Department of Food and Public Distribution of the government of India vide letter No 3(9) 12021-Py.1 dated July 30, 2021 directed the Government of Maharashtra to immediately constitute a joint team with FCI. Accordingly, the Government of Maharashtra on August 2, 21 constituted a Joint Committee of five members including the District Magistrate of the revenue district (Bhandara and Gondia) concerned and the Divisional Manager of FCI," Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal said in a statement laid on the table of the House.
Also read: Foreign e-commerce companies violated Indian laws: Piyush Goyal
MP Sunil Mendhe had raised a question regarding 'irregularities and corruption in procurement of paddy'. This was in response to two complaints, one by Mendhe himself -- he is the Lok Sabha MP from Bhandara, Gondia -- and another by Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Devendra Fadnavis in June 2021 regarding 'corruption and lapse in paddy procurement in Maharashtra' and 'on going scam in purchase of paddy at minimum support price in Maharashtra', the Minister answered.
ALSO READ
Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024: Ajit Pawar appeals for support in Baramati
Hemant Soren answerable, not BJP: Amit Shah on Rs 1.36 lakh crore coal dues
Amit Shah unveils BJP's manifesto for Jharkhand, pledges UCC and women’s welfare
"Request both PMs to hold dialogue": SGPC’s Ram Singh on India-Canada relations
ED files charge sheet in digital arrest scam; I4C issues public advisory
These were two of the just eight complaints that the Centre and FCI received during KMS 2020-21 from across India, the Minister said. Mendhe had lodged another complaint regarding 'Delay in paddy procurement, procurement of paddy from middlemen and traders and manipulation of procurement records' earlier before March 2021. The other complaints included three from Uttar Pradesh and one from Jharkhand. During the ongoing Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2020-21, 872.06 LMT paddy (upto 3.8.2021) has been procured from about 128.72 lakh farmers spread over 23 states at 74,609 procurement centres.
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever