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Leaders from Oppn, BJP pointed out 'corruption' in tur procurement; Maharashtra yet to take firm action -Partha Sarathi Biswas

-The Indian Express

The procurement process also faced several allegations of corruption and favouritism. However, even months after the concerns were raised, the government is yet to take any action on them, reveals the RTI.

Pune:
Across party lines, political leaders had raised questions about the process to procure over 3 lakh tonnes of tur by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd, or NAFED, last year, revealed response to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by The Indian Express with the state Department of Cooperation. Leaders from opposition parties, as well as the ruling BJP, had raised concerns about the alleged rampant corruption in the process, the department stated in its response.

The move to procure tur was taken to help farmers, who were struggling with low prices for the second consecutive year, but failed to have much of an impact on the price of the commodity. The procurement process also faced several allegations of corruption and favouritism. However, even months after the concerns were raised, the government is yet to take any action on them, reveals the RTI.

Tur is a major kharif crop for Maharashtra, where it is grown across over 12 lakh hectares of farmland. But for the last two years, it has failed to trade above the government-declared Minimum Support Price (MSP). Finally, NAFED had intervened in the matter and started procuring the commodity through the Maharashtra State Cooperative Marketing Federation and the Vidarbha Cooperative Marketing Federation. Under the Price Support Scheme, farmers had to register online, with details of their land records and Aadhaar numbers. Once they had sold their stock of tur, they would receive the payment directly in their bank accounts.

The mechanism, however, was plagued by charges of corruption and complaints of favouritism. Of the nine written complaints received by the Department of Cooperation, five were from BJP functionaries, while the rest were from sitting or former MLAs, showed the RTI response. Among the complainant was Kisan Dhulshette, chairman of the Jalkot Nagar Panchayat in Latur, who made serious charges of corruption against the procurement centre in Jalkot’s wholesale market.

Dhulshette, former vice-president of the Latur district BJP, claimed that the market committee had passed off tur procured by traders as farmer’s produce at the centre. He even wrote to Labour Minister Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar, alleging in his letter that tur from neighbouring Parbhani district was sold at the procurement centre.

Six months after he sent the letter, Dhulshette said he was still waiting for action to be taken over his complaint. “The people, against whom I complained, have managed to brush this under the carpet by using their money power,” he said. However, Dhulshette said he had been “assured by people close to the chief minister that action will be taken”.

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