Bhopal, April 22: With a view to ensuring purchase of wheat at minimum support price (MSP), the Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has issued fresh instructions to the officers on the basis of the surprise inspections he made in the mandis.

The Chief Minister has instructed that all the revenue officers should make constant inspections of mandis to ensure purchase of wheat at support price. The collectors and superintendents of police should undertake joint inspections, he added.

Shri Chouhan has said that the officials of weight and measures department should take action in cases where scales are not in proper order and where scales are not being used in mandis. The samples of fair average quality (F.A.Q.) wheat has been purchased at rates below support price should be taken and sent to the collector at district level and to the sub divisional officer at sub division level. This would help rule out complaints of purchase of wheat at less than support price (Rs. 1100 per quintal including bonus of Rs. 100 per quintal)

It may be mentioned here that the Chief Minster is very keen on ensuring purchase of wheat at support price. He himself is undertaking surprise inspections of mandis in different districts. So far, he has inspected the mandis at Itarasi, Guna and Shajapur. The fresh instructions have been issued on the basis of his experience during these inspections.

In order to ensure purchase of wheat at support price control rooms have been set up at district and state levels. The telephone number of the state level control room at Bhopal is 0755-2575245. The Chief Minister has already directed that in case fair average quality wheat is purchased at rates below the support price, F.I.R. should be lodged against the concerning traders and employees

The Chief Minister has also directed that payment should be made to the farmers immediately after weighing. If cooperative societies purchase wheat the payment should be made by cheque and if the traders purchase the payment should be made in cash..

Wheat is being procured at support price through 926 centres. The Food and Civil Supplies Corporation is procuring wheat at ten selected depots direct from the farmers. The central government has fixed the minimum support price of wheat at Rs. one thousand per quintal for this year. The state government has decided to pay a bonus of Rs. one hundred per quintal on this.

The prescribed F.A.Q. uniform specifications for wheat to be purchased during Rabi marketing season have been relaxed. Accordingly, wheat with damaged grains can also be purchased. The allowable quantity of damaged grains has been increased from two to three percent.