Rajasthan govt to procure wheat directly at local village level next year

Jaipur, Mar 21 : The Rajasthan government will procure wheat on minimum support price through its agencies like gram seva sahkari samitis at local level in villages from the next year.

This was announced by co-operatives and civil supply Minister Parsadi Lal Meena in the state assembly today.

Responding to the issue raised by Om Birla(BJP) and members in the zero hour Mr Meena said the task of the direct local procurement on the lines being adopted by states like Madhya Pradesh, was being tried in Alwar district under a pilot project and this would be extended to entire state next year.

''The state government had decided to procure 30 lakh MT of wheat on support price with payment of bonus of Rs 150 per quintal.

A fund of Rs 450 crore had already been allocated for payment of bonus'',the Minister said.

In zero hour itself CPM legislature party leader Amararam raised the issue of alleged custodial death in Halena police station of Bharatpur district on March 13 and demanded arrested of the culprits who are named in the FIR.

However, Minister of State for Home Virendra Beniwal refuted the report of custodial death and said the person concerned who had visited the police station to lodge complaint against some sand miner mafia, was not under the custody, he had stayed in the police station premises on request for night halt.

This was a questioned by none other than Deputy Speaker Ram Narain Meena who said ''You know no body stays at the police station on his/her own.''

Independent MLA Golma Devi also staged a dharna at the main entrance of the assembly complex for sometime to voice this issue.