The Centre’s ban on wheat exports has not made any adverse impact on the income of wheat-growing farmers, the Centre told the Rajya Sabha on Friday.
In a written reply, Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, said farmers are getting remunerative prices despite a ban on wheat export. Domestic prices of wheat are ruling above MSP (minimum support price) even after ban on the export of wheat.
Stating that there is no wheat crisis in the country, he said India produces wheat more than its domestic requirement.
As per third advance estimate, the wheat production has been estimated to be 106.41 million tonnes (mt) during 2021-22, which is above the average production of wheat during last five years (2016-17 to 2020-21), that is 103.89 mt.
In order to manage the overall food security of the country and to support the needs of the neighbouring and vulnerable countries, the Centre amended the export policy of wheat from ‘Free’ to ‘Prohibited’. However, export will also be allowed on the basis of permission granted by the government to the other countries to meet their food security needs and based on the request of their governments, he said.
Paddy procurement
To a separate question on the advancement of paddy procurement in Tamil Nadu by a month, the Minister said the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution received a letter dated June 21, from the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister addressed to the Prime Minister, requesting to advance paddy procurement from October to September.
The government vide letter dated July 18 has approved for advancement of procurement period of paddy in Tamil Nadu by one month, that is from September 1 during kharif marketing season (KMS) 2022-23, he said.
PM-KISAN
To another query on fraudulent beneficiaries under the PM-KISAN (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi) scheme, Tomar said States such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Gujarat reported instances of fraudulent transactions under the scheme.
Recoveries have also been made from fraudulent beneficiaries by the State governments of Tamil Nadu (₹163 crore), Rajasthan (₹3.6 lakh), Karnataka (₹1.21 crore), and Gujarat (₹41.76 lakh).
Appropriate disciplinary action against the officials responsible have been taken by the State governments and FIRs have been lodged, he said.
In Tamil Nadu, FIRs have been filed in 16 districts. He said 123 persons were arrested, including contractual staff. Services of 102 contractual staff, suspected to be directly or indirectly involved in these illegal activities, were terminated.
Three block-level Assistant Directors of Agriculture, where large number of entries took place, were suspended. Departmental action instituted against 71 officers who are responsible for the enrolment of fraudulent beneficiaries in PM-KISAN scheme, he said.