New Delhi/Jaipur, March 25 (IANS) Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla held a key meeting on Wednesday with Union Minister for Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi at his office in the Parliament House complex, focusing on ensuring maximum procurement of the wheat crop in Rajasthan and safeguarding farmers’ interests.

Rajasthan’s Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Sumit Godara and Minister for Cooperatives Gautam Dak were also present.

The discussions centred on ensuring that farmers receive the best possible returns for their produce without facing any inconvenience during the procurement process.

Om Birla highlighted that due to prevailing weather irregularities, there is a possibility of unseasonal rainfall, which could damage the standing wheat crop.

In view of this, he emphasised the need to make the procurement process faster, smoother, and more efficient to minimise potential losses for farmers.

He directed that agencies such as the Food Corporation of India (FCI), RAJFED, and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) should establish the maximum number of procurement centres across the state.

He also instructed officials to increase the number of weighing scales at procurement sites and ensure that procurement is carried out at an accelerated pace so that farmers do not face any difficulties in selling their produce. Birla noted that locating procurement centres closer to farmers would help reduce transportation costs and save time.

He stressed the importance of strengthening procurement infrastructure this year, especially in light of the expected bumper wheat harvest in Rajasthan.

During the meeting, it was noted that the Rajasthan government is providing a bonus of Rs 150 per quintal on wheat this year. With this, along with the Minimum Support Price (MSP), farmers will receive a total of Rs 2,735 per quintal.

Last year, approximately 21.62 lakh metric tonnes of wheat were procured in the state, and this year the figure is expected to surpass that level due to higher production.

It was further shared that while around 1.72 lakh farmers had registered for procurement last year, more than 2 lakh farmers have already registered this year, indicating increased participation and improved output.

The Lok Sabha Speaker directed concerned officials to ensure that all arrangements are executed in a time-bound and transparent manner so that farmers receive fair prices promptly without any inconvenience.

Also present were OSD to the Lok Sabha Speaker Rajiv Datta, Joint Secretary Gaurav Goyal, and OSD Rajesh Goyal. Senior Rajasthan government officials Manju Rajpal and Ambrish Kumar participated in the meeting via video conferencing.

--IANS

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