BJP states Gujarat, UP & MP seek full quota of wheat under central scheme

NEW DELHI: The Centre is facing an uneasy situation as three BJP-ruled states - Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh - have demanded the restoration of wheat allocation to them under the national food security scheme, NFSA. The demands have been made at a time when the Centre is struggling to somehow meet the mandatory stocking norms for wheat as on October 1 and March 2023.
Following a record fall in wheat procurement, the Centre on May 14 had reduced wheat allocation under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) by nearly 40% for 10 states, including these three, to tide over any shortage while claiming that the decision was taken after "consultation with state governments". For the Centre, yielding to the demands would be almost impossible as the total stock with the Food Corporation of India on October 1 is estimated to be barely 12 lakh tonnes more than what it requires to maintain as buffer stock. The surplus stock would be similar on April 1, 2023.
Gujarat minister Nareshbhai Patel said, "In areas like Saurashtra and north Gujarat, people prefer wheat to rice. We request the government to increase the wheat allocation."