NEW DELHI, Apr 29: In the on-going tussle between the Centre and BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh over supply of jute bags for wheat, the government has blamed the state for inaccurate and improper planning for the delay in supply of gunny bags for procurement of the crop.
After Madhya Pradesh threatened that it would stage protests against the Centre here, Food Minister K V Thomas shot off a letter to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan insisting that the state is facing a crisis of jute bags as it had revised its estimates of bags requirement frequently.
“Planning for purchase of bags by Madhya Pradesh government was not accurate and it increased its initial projected requirement of 1.44 lakh bales of bags to be purchased from DGS&D (Directorate General of Supplies & Disposals) to 3.19 lakh bales,” Thomas said.
The supply of jute bags was bound to be effected in the state as the Madhya Pradesh government revised jute bags requirement frequently, while other states like Punjab and Haryana had firm planning in November 2011, he said.
Chouhan has set a deadline of April 30 for the Centre to meet his demand failing which the Chief Minister and his supporters may hold demonstrations in the capital. MPs from Madhya Pradesh will also join the agitation.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, who is MP from Vidisha, had raised this matter in the Lower House last week. She demanded that the Centre immediately supply the jute bags as wheat was lying on the roads and will rot.
In the wake of these developments, Thomas has assured that the supply of jute bags would improve in the coming days.
He, however, said, “It may be impressed upon the state officials concerned to properly plan for their jute bag requirements in future in a more realistic manner.” (PTI)
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