Wheat procurement provisional cost sheet: Centre silent on RDF, slashes mandi fee
The food and civil supplies department in Punjab has received a provisional cost sheet from the Centre’s ministry of food and public distribution, mentioning accruals for the state government on wheat purchased from the state. However, the cost sheet has no mention of rural development funds, which the state used to charge at 3% over the total crop value. Moreover, the mandi fee has been reduced from 3% to 2% of the total crop value this year. The RDF of the previous two kharif and rabi seasons to the tune of INR2,880 crore are still pending with the Centre, the officer said.
The food and civil supplies department, Punjab, on Thursday, received a provisional cost sheet from the Centre’s ministry of food and public distribution, mentioning accruals for the state government on wheat purchased from the state.
The cost sheet, which in the previous wheat (rabi) and paddy (kharif) procurement seasons, was released before the start of the procurement, has been released when the procurement is at the fag-end despite repeated reminders from the state government. As per estimates, wheat arrivals have touched 119 lakh tonnes, with the government purchasing 114 lakh tonnes. The department is expecting an arrival of around 5-6 lakh tonnes before the season ends.
The released cost sheet has no mention of the rural development funds (RDF), which the state used to charge at the rate of 3% over the total crop value. Moreover, the mandi fee has been reduced from 3% to 2% of the total crop value his year.
The RDF of the previous two kharif seasons (2021 and 2022) and rabi (2022) to the tune of ₹2,880 crore are still pending with the Centre.
“The cut in the accruals this season adds up to ₹950 crore, and it takes the total amount pending with the Centre to ₹3,830 crore,” said an officer of the state food department on the condition of anonymity.
“Due to non-disbursal of RDF, the spending on rural infrastructure has come to a standstill. The state agricultural marketing board (Mandi Board) used to spend RDF on roads and other infrastructure in the villages of the state,” the official added.
Sources in the state food department revealed that the Centre has also not increased the labour charges, which will be ₹ 10.61 per quintal same as last season. For past six procurements dami (cut) to arhtiyas has also remained the same at ₹46 per quintal. The department official said in the past five years (ten procurements), custody and maintenance charges have also remained the same at ₹2.4 per quintal.
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