Kiran Choudhary asks Khattar to impress centre for wheat

Haryana Congress Legislature Party Leader Kiran Choudhry today asked Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to impress upon the centre to make FCI reverse its decision of not procuring wheat from the state from April 1 onwards.
In a letter to Khattar, the former Excise and Taxation Minister has apprised him of the strong sentiments of the state farmers in this regard, a cross-section of which she met after the Budget Session of the Vidhan Sabha.
The farmers whose wheat crop was flattened by the recent unseasonal rain and hailstorms, are now worried about marketing of whatever little produce they will be left with, after the FCI decision not to enter the mandis for procuring wheat, she pointed out in the letter.

Notably, the Shanta Kumar Committee for reforming the FCI, had suggested the agency to stop purchase of foodgrains from states like Punjab and Haryana and concentrate on regions where the procurement process is poor.
The entire wheat stock will be bought by state-owned procurement agencies.
"I conveyed to them your assurance that 'every grain will be procured by state agencies' but they refused to buy it and were far from being reassured," she said.

"They have strong apprehension that the state agencies will not be able to fit the bill and that they will be put to the mercy of traders who will fleece them.," she added.

"The farmers want the FCI to procure wheat if their interests are to be protected," she wrote.
"I would, therefore, request you to immediately take up with the Central Government the cause of the farmers and impress upon them the need to make the FCI review its decision not to enter the mandis of Haryana," the letter said.
"Let me also point out here that if the Punjab Government can take up this matter with the Centre, we should also do so in the interest of the farmers of Haryana", it added.