Centre permits 18 % rest for shrivelled wheat from Punjab & Haryana; however procurement over

Express News Service

CHANDIGARH: The Centre has allowed rest in procurement norms for shrivelled wheat grains as much as 18 per cent towards the sooner specification of 6 per cent with any worth lower for the central pool from each Punjab and Haryana.

This, because of the abnormally excessive temperatures.

A letter written on Friday by Vishwajeet Haldar, Deputy Commissioner (Storage and Research Division) in Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution to Secretary Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Punjab and Additional Chief Secretary Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Haryana states, “I’m directed to a DO acquired from Punjab and Haryana looking for rest within the uniform specification of wheat for Rabi advertising season 2022-’23 because of the excessive, sudden and unprecedented heatwave within the state. In this regard, it’s to convey that the matter has been examined  and with a view to scale back the hardship of the farmers and to keep away from misery sale  of what the competent authority has determined to accord the request of the state.’’

“Accordingly it has been determined to obtain wheat from Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh (Union Territory) with the next relaxations within the uniform specs of wheat for the central pool procurement. The restrict of shrivelled grain and damaged grains of wheat in all districts of Punjab and Haryana together with   Chandigarh (Union Territory) could also be relaxed as much as 18 per cent towards the present restrict of 6 per cent underneath uniform specs with any worth lower,’’ reads the letter.

It additional states, “the wheat so procured shall be stacked and accounted for individually. The rest granted is topic to the situation that any monetary or operational implications on account of this rest shall be sole duty of the state authorities of Punjab and Haryana together with Chandigarh (Union Territory). Any deterioration of wheat inventory procured underneath the relaxed scheme throughout storage shall must be the only duty of state governments.’’

But apparently the procurement in each states is over. While the wheat procurement this yr by authorities businesses in Punjab until yesterday has been 96.15 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) towards the goal of 132 LMT and personal merchants bought 6.09 LMT.

A couple of days in the past the Centre had ordered one other recent sampling of the shrivelled grain, one other issue for the low yield this yr. Sources mentioned the grain throughout has shrivelled by 10 to twenty per cent as per the evaluation of 5 Central groups.