To reduce the hardship of wheat growers in Madhya Pradesh, the Centre has decided to procure wheat with various relaxations in norms during the current Rabi marketing season 2023-24 for central pool procurement.
The relaxed norm will cover lustre loss wheat containing up to 10% without any value cut followed by relaxation from 10% to 80% with one fourth of one full value cut on flat basis of MSP 2023-24 of wheat in entire state of Madhya Pradesh. Value cut is 0.25% of MSP if the lustre loss is between 10% and 80%.
The purpose is to avoid distress sale of wheat, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said on Friday in a letter to the state government.
It also said that the wheat procured should be stacked and accounted for separately and the state government will be held responsible for any deterioration in the quality of wheat stock procured under relaxed norms during storage.
Such wheat will be liquidated on over riding priority basis, it said, adding that the state government will bear the financial or operational implications of the relaxation in norms.