Ensure e-payment of MSP immediately into farmers’ accounts: Piyush Goyal to Amarinder Singh

By: Express News Service | Chandigarh, New Delhi |
Updated: March 31, 2021 4:34:14 am
UNION FOOD Minister Piyush Goyal has requested the Punjab authorities to implement the Centre’s pointers to make sure e-payment of the minimal assist worth (MSP) immediately into farmers’ accounts from the upcoming rabi advertising and marketing season starting April 1.
In a letter to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Goyal stated, “In the interest of farmers, GOI has been requesting the state government of Punjab to streamline their procurement and payment procedure in line with GOI guidelines of direct online payment to farmers and compliance of Public Finance Management System (PFMS), since 2018.”
“The state government has time and again sought extension on these timelines…” and regardless of being given adequate time to adjust to the rules, the “state has not implemented these provisions so far”, Goyal wrote in his March 27 letter.
This got here days after the Food Ministry’s March 4 letter, wherein it requested the state authorities to “implement online payment directly into farmer’s account and compliance of PFMS” with impact from the upcoming rabi advertising and marketing season. “These guidelines are being followed by majority of states except Punjab wherein MSP payments are still being paid through Arhtiyas [commission agents],” it wrote within the letter.

Punjab Food Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, nonetheless, stated the state was against the Centre’s scheme to make direct on-line cost, bypassing Arhtiyas. “Our chief minister has made his stand very clear. We will go by what our state’s APMC Act says,” he stated.
Ashu stated he had sought an appointment with Goyal plenty of instances in useless. “I have written 20 mails seeking a meeting with him…. But he is not willing to meet the minister of a state who wants to explain the situation,” he stated. He stated the chief minister had additionally sought a gathering with the Prime Minister on the difficulty however he too was not accessible. “At least, ask the CM about the problem. This kind of stubbornness would not lead them anywhere.”