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Raje urges Centre to supply indigenous wheat under PDS

JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has called upon the Centre to supply indigenous wheat to States under the targeted public distribution system, instead of the imported red wheat which she said was of inferior quality and unfit for human consumption.

In a letter addressed to Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Ms. Raje said the Centre should procure wheat from indigenous farmers rather than importing red and small grains from foreign countries at a high price.

The Centre has set the target of importing 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat between March and May this year. Ms. Raje said the decision would not only lead to low-grade wheat being supplied to States but also adversely affect the interest of farmers.

Ms. Raje suggested that the Centre fix the actual market cost for wheat procurement instead of the present price of Rs.850 per quintal. “The expenditure of Rs.1,600 per quintal on importing wheat can be diverted to the domestic farmers and wheat of better quality supplied to the targeted PDS consumers,” she said.

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