Govt of India i.e. The Common Man shall pay now Rs 110 crore more for the import of 1 million tone wheat. The common man will have to pay Rs 2 /kg more. Agriculture & Consumer Ministry cancelled the order-plan of importing 1 million tone wheat @ 263 $ in May 2007. Now the same Congress-UPA govt has announced to import wheat at 300 $ landed price. If the govt had imported the wheat in May the landed price should have been Rs 11 instead of Rs 12.30/kg. Govt announced to import 50 lac tone wheat in next two months. That means additional cost of Rs 550 crores.

BJP Leader & former Member of Parliament Dr Kirit Somaiya demanded CBI inquiry of this ‘550 crore Ghevu Ghotala’.

The State Trading Corporation imported wheat at the landing price of US$200/- per tone in 2006 i.e. Rs 8.20/kg. Now going to import the same at $ 300/- per tone i.e. Rs 12.30/kg. This is the same Government, which cancelled the order/tender of 1 million tones of wheat at the price of $ 263/- per tone in May 2007.

It is unique that Indian farmers are getting only Rs 7.50/kg as minimum support price while the govt is to import at Rs.12.30 per kg. Consumers shall have to pay Rs.15/- to Rs.17/- per kg.

India has not imported wheat for the 6 years until 2005. The country was having 130 days buffer stock of wheat during the BJP-NDA regime. India was having huge buffer stock of wheat during BJP-NDA govt. Food Corporation of India ’s Warehouses were full of Wheat & Grain. The Congress-UPA govt has converted it into a net importing country. BJP like to know how this has happened.

According to the Experts this year India is having short fall of 150 lac tone of wheat. Union Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Minister, Mr. Sharad Pawar, announced that the country has to import 50 lacs tone of wheat in 2007. The next wheat crop will come only after March 2008. 

Govt. of India ’s behaviour surprised the international market. Such announcement has pushed the international prices of wheat soaring to an increase of 15%. 

Various assessments and announcements regarding wheat crop, procurement, requirement and import made by the Agriculture Ministry during the year 2006-07 are contradictory.

It is feared that all this bungling has helped couple of Big Corporate-High level Player of Commodity Market to enter into “Future Contracts” at Chicago Commodity Exchange during these months. Hundreds of Crores of additional profit for this Corporate Players.

BJP would like to know

Ø      Why the tenders of May 2007 were cancelled?

Ø      Is it to benefit big corporate players of Commodity Market?

Ø      Indian farmers’ minimum support price of Rs.7.50 and the import price of   Rs.12.50.

Ø      Why the Small Consumer the Common Man is compelled to pay Rs 15 to Rs   17/kg

Ø      Enquiry of wrong and faulty assessment, announcement, procurement

Ø      Evaporation of such a huge buffer stock of wheat in the last 2-3 years.

Ø      Bungling of the Central Government

Ø      The wheat price in the international market was 200 $ in 2006, 273 $ in May 2007 & 300 $ in July 2007. Why govt did not plan proper import & now going to pay 50% more

Dr Kirit Somaiya demanded full fledge CBI inquiry of this Wheat Scam.