Madhya Pradesh’s Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection, Shri Govind Singh Rajput, has urged the Central Government to increase the quantity of wheat in the Public Distribution System (PDS), replacing a portion of rice. He stated that wheat is more commonly consumed in Madhya Pradesh than rice, and excessive rice supply has led to misuse and black-market practices.
The suggestion was made during his meeting with Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Prahlad Joshi in New Delhi. Shri Rajput pointed out that some traders mislead PDS beneficiaries and purchase rice from them at low prices, which is then sold illegally in the market. He emphasized that increasing wheat allocation would be a practical and preventive measure.
During the meeting, Shri Rajput also briefed the Union Minister on the Decentralized Procurement Scheme operational in Madhya Pradesh. He mentioned that surplus wheat procured at MSP is handed over to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) in C-Mode after the procurement period ends. However, the ₹2.89 per quintal loading and handling charges for FY 2021–22 have not yet been approved, and he requested that the pending amount be released promptly.
The Minister informed that data related to foodgrain distribution under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) for the years 2020–21 to 2022–23 has already been uploaded to the Government of India’s grain distribution portal. He requested permission to upload the same data on the Central Repository Portal and urged the Central Government to release the pending grant of ₹1500 crore. In response, Union Minister Shri Joshi assured that the matter would be reviewed with concerned officials for early disbursal.
Shri Rajput also sought approval for the procurement plan of 2.95 lakh metric tonnes of coarse grains purchased at MSP during 2014–15 to 2018–19. He stated that these coarse grains have already been distributed to eligible families under the NFSA in place of wheat. However, due to the lack of formal approval of the procurement plan, the related grant amount remains unpaid, and he requested the matter be resolved urgently.
Demand for Increase in Commission and Labour Charges: The Minister further raised the issue of no revision in commission rates since 2013 for cooperative societies involved in procurement operations. While other states are receiving higher commissions, Madhya Pradesh's societies are incurring losses due to inadequate reimbursement of procurement expenses. Shri Rajput requested the commission to be increased to ₹43 per quintal and labour charges for weighing, filling, stamping, and loading of wheat and paddy to be raised from ₹17.72 to ₹23 per quintal.
