Compromise on amended norms raises hope of early procurement in Sirsa

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Sirsa, April 18

A compromise has arrived between traders of grain market and the authorities for the smooth start of government procurement of wheat after the initial misgivings due to a circular of the Food and Supplies Department regarding cuts in the MSP.

Traders of the Sirsa grain market had a prolonged meeting with City Magistrate Pankaj Setia, senior officials of the Food and Supplies Department and various government procurement agencies.

Surender Minchnabadi, president of the Vyapar Mandal, Sirsa, said the traders were satisfied with the assurance given by the authorities that they would not have to bear any cut in their commission.

According to the amended norms of the Centre, breakage and shrivel of grains was allowed up to 6 per cent.

For breakage or shrivel from 6 to 7 per cent, traders were to lose 1 per cent of the MSP (Rs 14. 50 per quintal) and for the breakage and shrivel of 7 to 8 per cent, they were to lose 2 per cent (Rs 29 per quintal).

Similarly, lustre loss up to 10 per cent has been made admissible in the new norms and for lustre loss of 11 to 50 per cent, traders were to lose ¼ per cent of the value.

The newer norms had become a cause of worry for the traders and they had expressed great resentment. Gurdial Mehta, a former president of the Vyapar Mandal, Sirsa, alleged the government’s amended norms were not acceptable to them at all.

However, Minchnabadi said after the meeting that the authorities had assured them that no cut would be imposed on the traders. He said similar written assurances had been given by the authorities at Karnal and some other places too. The compromise has raised hopes of the early start of government procurement in Sirsa, where not a single grain has been purchased by the agencies so far.