Jaipur, April 4 (NationPress) In an effort to tackle the practical challenges associated with wheat procurement at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and to address the concerns of farmers, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla presided over a crucial meeting at the Kota Circuit House on Saturday.

Birla urged officials to enhance the procurement system to ensure that every farmer has a smooth experience during this process.

Highlighting the importance of farmer welfare, he emphasized that all farmers should have their wheat procured at MSP.

Considering the crop damage from the recent rains and hailstorms, he instructed officials to pursue and implement essential relaxations in quality standards to reduce the rejection rate of produce.

Birla also directed officials to visit mandis, engage directly with farmers, and swiftly resolve their issues to prevent any financial setbacks.

He shared that conversations with the Government of India regarding the relaxation of grain quality standards have already been initiated, with orders anticipated within the upcoming three days.

To further optimize procurement, he instructed that the procurement allocation be increased twofold, ensuring all procurement centers are fully operational starting Monday.

On the subjects of logistics and storage, Birla stressed the need for an uninterrupted supply of gunny bags in the Kota-Bundi region and directed that the tender process for additional bags be completed rapidly, targeting availability within seven days.

He also mandated that warehouses and godowns remain open even on holidays, and to arrange sufficient railway rakes for the seamless transportation of procured wheat.

Moreover, he instructed that issues concerning discrepancies in MSP procurement and the rejection of wheat consignments sent by Rajfed to Food Corporation of India (FCI) warehouses be addressed expeditiously.

To mitigate operational hurdles, Birla issued directives to resolve problems related to slot booking and biometric authentication, ensuring that all farmers receive procurement slots by Monday.

Additionally, he called for the establishment of a control room at Bhamashah Mandi to facilitate prompt grievance resolution.

He advocated for the simplification and optimization of mandi operations, including arrival protocols, farmer amenities, weighing, and procurement procedures, to maximize the procurement of produce.

During the meeting, Energy Minister Hiralal Nagar showcased samples of rain-affected wheat from Bundi district and underscored the urgent necessity for the Central Government to ease quality standards.

He also recommended increasing the procurement target for the Kota division and proposed a formal request to the Central Government to double the existing target of six lakh metric tonnes.

Secretary (Food and Civil Supplies) Ambrish Kumar announced that wheat procurement will commence at all centers in Kota and Bundi districts starting Monday.

He assured that every registered farmer will receive notifications for their slot bookings.

Farmers will have the flexibility to deliver their produce either on their designated date or within a week thereafter.

He further mentioned that measures are being implemented to ensure that wheat is procured from every registered farmer, with a request already sent to the Union Food Secretary advocating for relaxations in quality standards due to weather-related damages.

He confirmed that there are adequate gunny bags for procuring 4 lakh metric tonnes, with a rate contract for additional supply already finalized and further arrangements to be made as procurement advances.

Samit Sharma provided an update on procurement preparations at cooperative centers, while Rajfed Managing Director Saurabh Swami confirmed that all arrangements at Rajfed centers are complete, and procurement will proceed as scheduled. Officials from Tilam Sangh also verified their readiness at 35 procurement centers.

Attendees of the meeting included Energy Minister Hiralal Nagar, Principal Secretary (Cooperatives) Samit Sharma, Secretary (Food and Civil Supplies) Ambrish Kumar, Rajfed Managing Director Saurabh Swami, and District Collector Piyush Samariya. The meeting also featured officials from the Food Corporation of India, Department of Food and Civil Supplies, Rajfed, Cooperative Department, and District Administration, including Divisional Commissioner Anil Kumar Agarwal, District Collector Piyush Samariya, Avinash Rathi (President, Kota Grain and Seeds Merchant Association), along with senior officials from FCI, Rajfed, Tilam Sangh, Cooperative Department, and the Department of Food and Civil Supplies.