The decision of the UPA Government to import 5 lacs tons of wheat is increasingly becoming curious and getting surrounded in suspicious circumstances. It is to be recalled that the Chairman of the Food Corporation of India in an interview widely published on December 21, last has claimed that there is no need to import wheat at all. He has claimed in January the godown would have about 66 -70 lacs tons of wheat and the monthly offtake is about 12-14 lacs tons to satisfy the needs of all the welfare scheme including PDS and employment Guarantee Programmes.
It is well known that the new crop of wheat would arrive in the first week of April itself and the projections are that it would be a good crop exceeding by 5-7 million tons the last year’s level of 72 million tons. Wheat from Government stocks would be required only till mid March and therefore even if monthly offtake on a higher side of 15 lacs tons per month is taken then as against the stocks in January, after March about 20 lacs tons still remains as a buffer and the new arrival in the first week of April creates a position of plenty. In this light the sudden decision to import also raises a whole range of questions which remain unanswered. Even otherwise the imported wheat can land at the port even if great speed is followed, only by March end and therefore they would only be at the cost of new product of farmers by first week of April. There is every probability that such an import would be a costly affair at the approximate rate of Rs. 7.50 per Kg where as the support prise for Indian farmers is Rs. 6 - 6.50 per Kg.. Naturally the farmers in Punjab and other part of the Country are agitated over this highly anti farmer decision which the BJP also condemns unreservedly.
This couple with the anti-poor policy to reduce subsidy and the quantity of wheat and rice supplied under the PDS exposes the true anti-poor and anti-people face of the UPA which is supposed to have come to power in the so called name of Aam Adami. It seems strange that the Government which talked so loudly in the recently concluded WTO meet in Hongkong that USA and European Countries must reduce their farm subsidy rushed so swiftly in taking this ant-people decision. The BJP shall continue to expose the anti-poor and anti-people policies of the UPA Government.
It is well known that the new crop of wheat would arrive in the first week of April itself and the projections are that it would be a good crop exceeding by 5-7 million tons the last year’s level of 72 million tons. Wheat from Government stocks would be required only till mid March and therefore even if monthly offtake on a higher side of 15 lacs tons per month is taken then as against the stocks in January, after March about 20 lacs tons still remains as a buffer and the new arrival in the first week of April creates a position of plenty. In this light the sudden decision to import also raises a whole range of questions which remain unanswered. Even otherwise the imported wheat can land at the port even if great speed is followed, only by March end and therefore they would only be at the cost of new product of farmers by first week of April. There is every probability that such an import would be a costly affair at the approximate rate of Rs. 7.50 per Kg where as the support prise for Indian farmers is Rs. 6 - 6.50 per Kg.. Naturally the farmers in Punjab and other part of the Country are agitated over this highly anti farmer decision which the BJP also condemns unreservedly.
This couple with the anti-poor policy to reduce subsidy and the quantity of wheat and rice supplied under the PDS exposes the true anti-poor and anti-people face of the UPA which is supposed to have come to power in the so called name of Aam Adami. It seems strange that the Government which talked so loudly in the recently concluded WTO meet in Hongkong that USA and European Countries must reduce their farm subsidy rushed so swiftly in taking this ant-people decision. The BJP shall continue to expose the anti-poor and anti-people policies of the UPA Government.
(Shyam Jaju)
Office Secretary
Office Secretary
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