Congress General Secretary and Uttar Pradesh in-charge, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has in a letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath urged a guaranteed wheat procurement from farmers in the state.
She has sought opening of all purchase centres in the state by July 15 and ensuring maximum purchase from farmers.
"The wheat procurement of farmers should be guaranteed by July 15 at the procurement centres. Arrangements for procurement should be ensured at each purchasing centres so that farmers do not have to wander to sell their food grains," she demanded.
"I am constantly getting information from all the districts of the state that farmers are facing a lot of problems in the purchase of wheat. The procurement of wheat started from April 1, but due to the Coronavirus pandemic most purchase centres have not been opened. Though farmers went to these centres, wheat procurment has been reduced to half," she claimed in the letter.
The Congress leader claims that in states like Punjab and Haryana, the government procurement of wheat accounts for 80-85 per cent of the total production, while in Uttar Pradesh, only 14 per cent of the 378 lakh metric tonnes of wheat produced has been procured by the government centres.
"Many farmers have not been able to sell their wheat. Now, due to the government decrees, the officers are reluctant to purchase wheat at these centres," she alleged.
"The Chief Minister had said that we will facilitate the purchase of wheat till the last farmer, but in many villages, the purchasing centres are closed and farmers are being forced to go to distant mandis," she added.
It is raining incessantly in many parts of the state, there is a danger of rotting of wheat due to moisture. In this situation the farmers will be forced to sell their produce at throwaway prices, she said in the letter.
She stated that reports were coming from many districts that a maximum of 30 to 50 quintals of wheat was being purchased from farmers at a time. "Farmers are very worried about this. With immediate effect, maximum purchase should be made from farmers," she added.
The Congress leader also shared the letter on her official Twitter handle and said, "According to reports, only 14 per cent of the total wheat produced in UP this year has been procured by the government. The purchasing centers of the villages are closed and less wheat is being procured from the farmers. My letter to give relief in procurement and increase the date of wheat procurement to farmers suffering from backbreaking inflation and coronavirus."
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra urges UP CM to guarantee wheat procurement from farmers
( With inputs from ANI )
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