Bhopal, April 8 (IANS) With the wheat procurement at Minimum Support Price (MSP) in Madhya Pradesh set to begin from Thursday, the state government has put in place a multi-layered monitoring and support system to ensure a smooth process for farmers across the state.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Wednesday reviewed the preparedness through a virtual interaction with farmers’ representatives and voluntary organisations, stressing transparency and farmer convenience as key priorities.

The procurement will start in Indore, Ujjain and Bhopal divisions on April 9, while the process in Rewa, Jabalpur, Sagar and Shahdol divisions will start from April 15.

“Today, I virtually connected with representatives of farmers and voluntary organisations to discuss the wheat procurement process, which is set to commence from tomorrow (April 9). The state government is committed to ensuring that our farmer brethren receive a fair price for their produce,” Chief Minister Yadav said in a statement.

To ensure the procurement process is smooth and transparent, control rooms have been set up at the district level.

A central control room has been set up at the Chief Minister’s Office to monitor the process continuously.

“During this interaction, I appealed to voluntary organisations to extend their cooperation in the wheat procurement process. Instructions have also been issued to all Collectors and Sub-Divisional Magistrates to ensure that adequate arrangements are made for farmers at the procurement centres,” the Chief Minister said.

He also shared that the procurement process will initially focus on registered small and marginal farmers, with slot booking for procurement already underway.

He confirmed that sufficient gunny bags have been arranged for the operations.

The Cabinet Ministers and MLAs have also been asked to consistently monitor wheat procurement arrangements in their districts to ensure effective coordination and prevent any inconvenience to farmers in the state.

Notably, wheat procurement in the state will be carried out at a rate of Rs 2,625 per quintal, including an additional bonus of Rs 40 per quintal for farmers.

More than 78,19,400 farmers have registered for the process across 3,627 procurement centres, including 2,625 centres with bonus facilities.

Sacks are now available in all districts, and marginal farmers will receive priority.

–IANS

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