Union Food and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said that the Karnataka government has started procurement of ragi at the minimum support price (MSP) while for maize it has not yet sought permission from the Centre.
"The Karnataka government has informed us that it is procuring ragi at MSP and the Central government has already given the permission," Goyal said while replying to former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda question in Rajya Sabha.
On the demand to procure maize, Goyal said that the state government has not sought any permission. He also assured that he will speak to Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on this issue.
The Union Minister mentioned that the government can procure and distribute commodities other than rice and wheat within the state. But the Centre does not take ragi or maize as it is not mandated under the central pool stock, he added.
JD(S) supremo Gowda said that no step has been taken for procurement of 7 lakh tonnes of ragi at MSP in Karnataka, while in his home district only one quintal of ragi has so far been purchased. Gowda also urged the Centre to procure maize from farmers under the MSP scheme.
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Published 01 April 2022, 11:52 IST
