Faced with depleting reserve of wheat stocks, the government has decided to keep a tab on the private sector buying of wheat.
NEW DELHI: Faced with depleting reserve of wheat stocks, the government has decided to keep a tab on the private sector buying of wheat.
It said that private companies and traders will have to inform the authorities regularly if they purchase more than 10,000 tons of the foodgrain this season.
The Wheat (Stock Declaration by Companies or Firms or Individuals) Order 2008, notified last month, has been made more stringent by reducing the quantity to 10,000 tons as against 25,000 tons fixed last year.
According to the revised norms, any company, firm or individual purchasing more than 10,000 tons of wheat during the current Rabi marketing season, beginning April 2008, shall furnish details of the procurement to the respective state government. These returns have to be filed every month, an official said. The wheat stock declaration has to be filed with the Centre if the private sector traders and companies purchase more than 25,000 tons of the grain from the market.
The food ministry has also asked the states to furnish a consolidated statement of private sector procurement to the Centre by 10th of every month. The government is already implementing a similar order for rice procurement in the private sector where traders and companies are asked to file returns.
Last year, the stock declaration order on wheat was promulgated as huge private sector procurement of the foodgrain led to very low purchases by the Food Corporation of India in 2006-07 Rabi marketing season, putting the PDS at risk and forcing government to import wheat.
The wheat was imported at higher prices and was also of poor quality, exposing the government to severe criticism.
s_rajesh@dnaindia.net
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