MP govt ramps up moong procurement, orders hassle‑free purchase
Bhopal, July 31
Madhya Pradesh Cooperation Minister Vishvas Kailash Sarang on Friday directed officials to ensure smooth procurement of moong and urad crops, stressing that farmers should not face any inconvenience during the ongoing purchase season.
Chairing a review meeting of the Cooperation Department, the minister asked officials to work in mission mode to strengthen procurement arrangements, improve storage facilities and enhance cooperative banking services.
"No farmer should face any inconvenience during the procurement of moong and urad. All necessary arrangements should be made at procurement centres, and adequate availability of gunny bags should be ensured so that the procurement process continues without disruption," Sarang said.
He instructed officials to make alternative storage arrangements wherever warehouses have reached capacity. If required, produce should be shifted to warehouses in other districts to ensure timely lifting and storage.
The minister also reviewed the progress of the Chief Minister's Public Welfare Scheme and the "Sahkarita Mein Sahkar" campaign.
He directed officials to conduct weekly reviews to ensure time‑bound implementation of government programmes.
To strengthen cooperative banking in rural areas, Sarang asked officials to install micro‑ATMs in dairy cooperative societies in a phased manner.
He also directed cooperative banks to appoint nodal officers, introduce attractive deposit schemes and encourage cooperative societies to conduct banking transactions through cooperative banks.
"Cooperation is a strong foundation for farmers' welfare and rural development. All schemes should be implemented in a transparent, effective and time‑bound manner," the minister said.
The review meeting comes days after farmers staged protests in Bhopal and some other districts over delays in moong procurement. Farmers had alleged inadequate arrangements at procurement centres, shortage of storage space and delays in lifting their produce, leading to long waiting periods.
Following the protests, the state government had increased procurement of moong crop from 25 per cent to 60 per cent under the MSP rate.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good initiative by the MP government. The micro-ATMs in dairy cooperative societies is a smart move to improve rural banking access. But the real test will be implementation. We need weekly reviews and strict monitoring to ensure farmers don't face the same problems again.
Why did it take protests for the government to act? Farmers had to suffer for weeks before this review meeting happened. The increase from 25% to 60% procurement is welcome, but we need a permanent solution. Storage facilities and gunny bags should be arranged before the season starts, not after complaints.
MP is doing better than many other states. At least the minister is taking direct interest in the procurement process. The micro-ATM and cooperative banking push will help rural areas a lot. Let's hope the execution matches the intentions.
It's good that they are thinking about storage space. Last year many farmers had to sell below MSP because there was no place to store their produce. Hope the alternative arrangements in other districts work well. The weekly review is a good idea too.
The government should also ensure that the procurement reaches the right farmers. Many times middlemen exploit the system. If the government can ensure direct payment to farmers' accounts and reduce the role of middlemen, it would be truly hassle-free. Let's see how it plays out.
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