Signalling a widening rift within the ruling coalition in Maharashtra, the BJP-led Mahayuti government has targeted another decision taken by the previous administration headed by its key ally and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena.
In an order issued February 17, the Devendra Fadnavis government underlined “irregularities” in Minimum Support Price (MSP) schemes and selection of nodal agencies for crop procurement, and set up a panel to formulate a “comprehensive policy” in this regard.
The decision taken by the state’s Marketing Ministry under BJP’s Jaykumar Rawal to form a six-member committee comes in the wake of complaints of alleged irregularities and “demand for money” by procurement agencies that were approved by the previous government for agricultural produce under the Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) scheme.
“While purchasing agricultural produce at the guaranteed price under the Minimum Support Scheme, some state-level nodal agencies have been found to be demanding money from various farm producers’ companies, which come under their jurisdiction, to start procurement centers,” the latest order stated.
Besides, it said, these agencies were “demanding money for the procurement process at the centers and illegally deducting money” from them. The order also listed another alleged irregularity, stating that “the board of directors of some nodal institutions includes more than one person from the same family”.
“Considering all these factors, the state government found it necessary to adopt a comprehensive criteria/ working method for determining the state-level nodal institutions for implementing the said scheme in the state,” the order stated.
What the BJP minister is saying
According to state officials, the order raises questions about the decisions taken under the previous government when Shiv Sena leader Abdul Satar was heading the Marketing Ministry. At the time, they said, several proposals were sent to NAFED to appoint more agencies from the state and allegations of “demand for money” later surfaced against many of them. Satar did not respond to requests for comment from The Indian Express.
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Minister Rawal said that “most of these state-level agencies (SLAs) do not have any background of such purchases and there have been instances of some irregularities”.
“Initially, there were only two SLAs in the state and during the MVA government’s tenure, six new SLAs were given permission. In the previous government, more SLAs were given permission and now the number has reached 47, which is the highest in any state. Some of the agencies have been given permission despite not fitting the set criteria. Some traders and politicians have also been given permission to become SLAs. Hence, we have formed this committee to look into what should be the criteria for allowing someone to become an SLA,” he said.
Rawal said action “will definitely be taken” against agencies that are found to have committed irregularities. “SLAs get around 2 per cent brokerage for the purchase and this year alone, there were purchases of over 11 lakh tonnes of soybean, which is huge… now everyone wants to become an SLA,” he said.
Officials said there would be “stricter scrutiny as to who can do procurement of soybean and onion among other crops under MSP”.
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The new committee will be headed by the managing director of Maharashtra State Cooperative Marketing Federation and will include the managing director of NAFED in Mumbai, the state marketing director in Pune, the chief marketing officer of the state agricultural marketing board in Pune, and the former joint director of Department of Co-Operation, Marketing & Textiles, Maharashtra.
According to the order, the committee will study and formulate a comprehensive policy on functioning and procedure to implement MSP schemes under PM-AASHA and selection of SLAs.
“The committee will submit a detailed report within one month, including suggestions and recommendations for the government on selection of state level nodal agencies and implementing the MSP schemes across the state,” states the order signed by the Additional Secretary, Department of Co-Operation, Marketing & Textiles, Maharashtra.
Officials said the Union Ministry of Agriculture had issued guidelines in October 2018 regarding procurement under the PM-AASHA scheme.
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According to these guidelines, they said, the Centre guarantees purchase of up to 25 per cent of the total production of essential agricultural commodities at MSP. “This process is carried out by NAFED as the nodal agency with state-level nodal institutions responsible for facilitating the purchase,” an official said.
The political implications
On the political front, the latest decision by the Fadnavis government points to a growing divide between the leadership of alliance partners BJP and Shinde’s Shiv Sena. Shinde has skipped several key official meetings recently and set up parallel relief cells.
Last week, the Chief Minister’s Office ordered an inquiry into a stalled Rs 900-crore housing project in Jalna that was approved for revival in 2023 by then Chief Minister Shinde. Earlier this month, the state scrapped a BMC tender worth Rs 1,400 crore for solid waste collection, slum passage cleaning and drainage and toilet maintenance, which was floated during Shinde’s tenure as CM.
A day later, Shinde issued a veiled warning saying he “should not be taken lightly”. He told reporters in Nagpur, “Do not take me lightly. I have already said this to those who took me lightly in the past. I am an ordinary party worker, but I am worker of Bala Saheb and Dighe Saheb and so people should keep that in mind. Those who took me lightly saw that I changed the government in 2022 and brought a double engine government that people wanted…”
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The Shiv Sena is also upset that Fadnavis did not concede their demands for the posts of Guardian Minister of Nashik and Raigad districts.
On the other hand, Shinde’s party has set up a Deputy Chief Minister’s Medical Relief Aid Cell at the Maharashtra secretariat on the lines of the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. Similarly, the Shinde-led Sena has started its own project coordination cell, apart from the CM’s war room.
For a few weeks now, Shinde has been staying away from government meetings and holding separate sessions of his own. He did not attend a CM’s war room meeting two weeks ago, and review meetings of metropolitan region development authorities chaired by Fadnavis last week — although these authorities fall under Shinde’s own Urban Development Department.
