Sell wheat then get gun licence in UP

In a bid to boost wheat procurement and meet target, authorities in the Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh have decided to go off the beaten track.

The district administration in Barabanki, around 30 km from here, has made it mandatory for those applying for arms licences to sell at least 50 quintals of wheat at government purchase centres in the district. Applicants have been asked to enclose a receipt from the purchase centres along with their applications. “Without the receipt, their applications will not be considered,” officials said.

A notice has also been pasted on the doors of the office in the district collectorate where applications for arms licences are accepted.

The new directive has put people without farm lands in a tight spot as they are finding it extremely difficult to meet the criteria.

“The directive will boost participation of farmers in wheat procurement,” said a senior district official.

According to officials, the district administration receives a large number of applications for arms licences every month.

The Uttar Pradesh government has set up 4,656 purchase centres to meet this year’s wheat procurement target of 42 MT.

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has directed the chief secretary to conduct fortnightly review of wheat purchase and ensure better coordination among different departments so that farmers do not face any difficulty in selling their produce at the purchase centres.
Despite government’s efforts, procurement has not picked up. Till last week, only 25,000 tonnes of wheat were procured.