Tuesday, May 29, 2018
  • Chandigarh May 29: Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Lal has approved the maize procurement plan 2018-19 which will be further submitted for the approval of Government of India. About 10,000 Metric Tonnes of maize is likely to be purchased on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) fixed by Government of India.
  • While stating this here today, an official spokesman said that the plan to procure maize on Minimum Support Price   will be submitted to the Central Government as per their Coarse Grain Policy.
  • He said that the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department had initiated the sowing period of Maize from June 25 to July 20 and harvesting is after three months. As per the policy of the Government of India, for any commodity the period should not extend beyond three months and it should also not go beyond one month from the end of normal period of harvesting of the concerned crop in the State. Therefore, the Government of India has been requested to fix the period of procurement of Maize from October 1, 2018 to November 15, 2018.
  • He said that as per the procurement plan, the procurement of maize would be made by the State Government and its agencies as per their specifications fixed and policy guidelines of Government of India for the procurement of coarse grains. He said that the procurement of Maize would be made from October 1, 2018 to November 15, 2018 as per demand for distribution under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) and other welfare schemes. 
  • He said that the area under cultivation and production of Maize in the State is 0.06 lakh hectare and 0.19 lakh Metric Tonnes respectively. About 10,000 Metric Tonnes of maize is likely to be purchased on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) fixed by the Government of India.About 80 per cent to 90 per cent of the total production would be market surplus, he added.
  • The spokesman said that Maize would be procured in six mandis of the State where maize has been sow or cultivated. The procurement would be made by the Food and Civil Supplies Department, Haryana, Hafed and Haryana Warehousing Corporation.
  • He said that during previous years the market rates of Maize have remained upto Rs 1800 per quintal against the MSP of Rs 1425 per quintal. He said that the procured Maize would be stored in warehouse located at central point in a district or at the convenient point in the nearby district. The funds would be arranged by availing Cash Credit Limit from Reserve Bank of India on the pattern of procurement of wheat and paddy and payment to the farmers would be made through Aartias on the similar pattern as is being done in case of wheat and paddy.
  • He said that staff would be deployed in the mandis from the start of the season at the designated procurement centres. Apart from this, the information regarding quantity procured would be initiated on daily basis to General Manager, Food Corporation of India (FCI) and others as is being done in case paddy and wheat.
  • Chandigarh May 29:  Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Lal has ordered a vigilance inquiry against the then Chief Engineer of Municipal Corporation, Gurugram in a case concerning purchase of Ductile Iron (DI) pipes worth Rs 30 crore in contravention of rules.
  • While stating this here today, Urban Local Bodies Minister, Mrs Kavita Jain said that the then senior Deputy Mayor of the Corporation, Mr Yashpal Batra had demanded an inquiry into the irregularities committed in the purchase of pipes in Municipal Corporation, Gurugram.
  • Mrs Jain said that report submitted by the Department revealed that the then Chief Engineer of Corporation, Mr B.S Singroha committed large scale irregularities in the purchase process which resulted in loss to the Corporation. Keeping in view the seriousness of the matter, a proposal was sent to the Chief Minister to get the case investigated from the State Vigilance Bureau.
  • Mrs Jain said that after the complaint made by the Senior Deputy Mayor, a report was prepared under which it was found that during the year from 2010-14, Ductile Iron (DI) pipes worth Rs 30 crore were purchased by putting the rules at stake.  While taking strict note of case of gross negligence on part of the Chief Engineer, the Director General, Urban Local Bodies Department had made a proposal for getting the matter investigated through an independent agency, she added. 
  • The Minister made it clear that any type of corruption would not be tolerated and said that whosoever found guilty would invite stern action against them. She has also urged the people to monitor the development works being undertaken in the Municipalities so that public money could be utilized in a transparent and proper manner.