K'taka asks Centre to clear pending procurement bill

Karnataka Food Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan today urged the Centre to clear Rs 954.26 crore claim of the state procuring agencies for undertaking purchase of rice and coarse grains at MSP in last three years.

Raising the issue in the national consultation meeting chaired by Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan here, Khan said, "The state has undertaken the procurement at the minimum support price (MSP) but the pending claims of the agencies have not been cleared despite submitting all documents".

The agencies had borrowed funds to undertake the MSP operation in the state. Non-clearance of their previous claims has resulted in huge interest payment, he said.

"Till now, nearly Rs 954.26 crore is pending from Government of India towards MSP operation for various commodities. I request you to release the pending claims at the earliest," he added.

This is the first central meeting Khan has attended after formation of the coalition government in Karnataka last month. A four time MLA, Khan had joined Congress from JD (S) ahead of the assembly poll.