'Centre procuring less paddy from Bengal compared to other states'

Kolkata: The Bengal government has written to the Centre alleging that the Centre is depriving the farmers of Bengal. The letter states that the quantity of paddy procured by the Food Corporation of Indian (FCI) from the farmers in Bengal is dipping. It has been alleged that the Bengal farmers have become the victims of the step-motherly attitude of the Centre as the FCI has been procuring less amount of paddy from the farmers here compared to the figure from other states.

In the letter, the Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi urged the Centre so that they meet the target of paddy procurement from Bengal. The Bengal government has to procure a huge quantity of paddy from the farmers to compensate for the drop in the procurement by the Centre owned agency FCI.

State Food and Supply Minister Rathin Ghosh said the Centre is supposed to procure around 6 lakh metric tons of paddy from Bengal farmers every year. But in the past few years the number has gone pitiably low. State government writes to the Centre every year urging them to procure adequate paddy from the farmers. The minister assured that the state government will procure the paddy from the Bengal farmers to check the loss. The Food and Supply department has already made adequate stock of paddy at all Amganwadi centers and for mid-day meals, the minister further pointed out.

"Around 42 tons of rice is required per year to arrange mid-day meals and food for Anganwadi centers. Around 27 lakh tons of rice is required for the rationing system. Till March this year, the state government has managed to stock 40 lakh tons of rice so far," a senior official of the state Food and Supply department said.

On a number of occasions, the state government has questioned the role of FCI and called the move "politically motivated". There has been a sharp decline in the procurement of paddies by the FCI from the state in the past few years.Some top officials from the state government had also visited Delhi to raise the matter with the Centre. But the matter has not been solved yet.

Some of the ruling party leaders in Bengal termed this move as the double-standards of the Central government which has been instrumental in FCI's decision to lower the procurement of the paddies from Bengal.