FCI procurement ‘going well’, only Punjab objecting to ‘transparent’ way: Piyush Goyal
Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 9
Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said that the FCI procurement was “going well” in the country, and that only one state, Punjab, was objecting to the “transparent” way, adopted by the Narendra Modi government to benefit farmers.
Replying to a supplementary during the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha by former union minister, and Akali leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal on the issue related to FCI asking for land record details for providing e-payment directly to farmers, Goyal, in turn, asked her objection to provide the information.
“My sister here (Harsimrat) was part of ‘mantri mandal’ (Cabinet). Why has she forgotten the commitment of the Narendra Modi government towards ‘pardarshita’ (transparency),” said Goyal.
According to Goyal, “the FCI procurement is going on well throughout the country” and that there is “only one State that says we will not give records”. “Why the state does not want to do that, she should ask the state government.
“Land records should be updated. Not wanting to update land records is not correct. The government wants a transparent system to ensure tax’ payers money is not wasted,” added Goyal.
In a bid to enable direct transfer payment of Minimum Support Price (MSP) to the bank accounts of the farmers, the FCI’s Punjab office has sought land records of farmers from the state government.
The FCI intends to make direct online payment of MSP to farmers from the upcoming Rabi marketing season (RMS) onwards, and has therefore written to the state’s Director of Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs, stating that land records are a must for wheat procurement in RMS 2021-22.
Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, who dubbed Centre’s move on direct payment to farmers for crop procurement as “another provocation” has said that by seeking land records for making e-payment to the farmers directly from the FCI, “the situation would worsen”.
