Bhopal, April 24 (IANS) Former Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Friday accused the BJP-led Madhya Pradesh government of deliberately creating hurdles for farmers seeking to sell their produce at the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

His remarks came after the Central government recently permitted the state to procure 10 million tonnes of wheat at MSP.

In a strongly worded post on his X handle, Kamal Nath alleged that the government first delayed the procurement process by nearly a month, citing a shortage of gunny bags.

This, he said, forced small farmers to sell their wheat to middlemen at distress prices.

When procurement finally began, he claimed, the government rejected slot bookings of small farmers on the basis of satellite surveys, leaving them confused as to why their standing crops were being denied despite being visible in their fields.

Kamal Nath further pointed out that farmers continued to face difficulties in booking slots.

He accused the government of introducing another layer of discrimination by mandating that wheat from farmers owning less than five acres would be procured first, followed by medium and large-scale farmers.

According to him, this was a calculated move since many small farmers had already sold their produce to middlemen, thereby reducing the overall procurement volume.

Citing official data, Kamal Nath noted that while 1.9 million farmers had registered to sell wheat at MSP by April 23, only about 700,000 had managed to book slots.

He described this disparity as clear evidence of mismanagement and a deliberate attempt to minimise procurement.

He also questioned the government’s target of 10 million tonnes, calling it a “charade”, given that Madhya Pradesh produced 24.5 million tonnes of wheat last year and claims to have surpassed that figure this year.

Kamal Nath demanded that the government resolve issues related to slot booking and satellite surveys, ensure maximum procurement from farmers, and apologise for failing to deliver on its promise of Rs 2,700 per quintal MSP.

He warned that farmers have seen through the government’s “machinations” and will not remain silent in the face of such policies.

In a televised address on Friday, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said procurement operations will now be conducted six days a week, with no holiday on Saturdays.

The procurement of wheat at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) will continue uninterrupted at designated centres.

Furthermore, the deadline for slot bookings — originally scheduled until April 30 — has been extended to May 9.

“I would also like to state that, should it become necessary to extend this period even further, we stand ready to do so. It is our government’s firm resolve to ensure that our farmer brethren face no difficulties whatsoever; the state government stands firmly with the farmers in every situation,” he said.

–IANS

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