The Central government’s agency National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) blamed irregularities in purchase of groundnuts from farmers at minimum support price (MSP) on the Gujarat government. NAFED Chairman Vaghji Boda addressed a press conference at Rajkot and alleged that the Jungle Raj prevailed in Gujarat alike UP and Bihar.
Addressing a press conference, Boda said, “One should notice that the groundnut gutting incidents occurred at the warehouses which were hired by Gujarat Warehousing Corporation and GUJCOMASOL and state run APMC. There are many open warehouses where groundnut was stored but the stock is safe. Gujarat has become like UP and Bihar and Jungle Raaj prevails here. The incident has spoiled the reputation of farmers and cooperative sector of Gujarat.”
“Agriculture minister RC Faldu is making baseless allegations on NAFED for irregularities of purchase of groundnuts at MSP. I demand further investigation in this case,” Boda said.
The press conference by Boda was the reaction of Faldu’s statement that he made before media a few days back in which he held NAFED responsible for groundnut gutting in warehouses. Boda said the government should leave the responsibility on NAFED for disposing stock of groundnut or selling them to oil millers. Controversy was sparked after the incident of thousands of groundnuts purchased from farmers at MSP by NAFED had been gutted in warehouses.
