Protesting against the ‘‘mafia raj’’ over the purchasing centres and the UP government’s inaction, three government agencies — UP Agro, Provincial Cooperative Federation (PCF) and the UP Sahkari Sangh — have refused to procure paddy this year. So the government is now going to coerce them into purchasing paddy by approving a Government Order to this effect.Admitting that these agencies had refused to procure paddy, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) B.L. Singh said that last year about 35 deputy regional marketing officers and Inspectors were suspended and FIRs lodged against 20 for procuring inferior paddy from brokers and ‘‘influential’’ farmers.He said another major problem this year was that the Centre had given them time till November 1 for procurement. Singh said the government has been requested to approach the Centre to allow procurement from October 15 till January-end as it’s impossible to reach the target by December.Meanwhile, the Opposition is annoyed with the government for not pressing for a better procurement price. Samajwadi Party leader Reoti Raman Singh said: ‘‘Because farmers are not in Mayawati’s constituency, she is not bothered about their plight.’’The Centre has fixed UP’s paddy procurement target at 6.5 lakh tonnes and rice levy at 10 lakh tonnes. Last year, the targets were 10 and 12 lakh tonnes respectively. The MSP this year is unchanged at Rs 530 for the common variety and Rs 560 for the superior one. The Centre will give Rs 20 per quintal as drought bonus.
