Bihar’s Agriculture and Cooperative Minister, Dr. Prem Kumar, has ordered an investigation into irregularities in paddy procurement within the state. Allegedly, discrepancies have led to a significant shortfall in meeting procurement targets. The government has instructed all district commissioners to conduct a thorough inquiry into the rice procurement process.
Minister Prem Kumar stated that there have been substantial issues in paddy procurement in the state. Due to these problems, the actual procurement might fall significantly below the set targets. Decisions have been made to investigate rice procurement through regional commissioners. Following this announcement, another minister from the Mahagathbandhan government might come under scrutiny.
Addressing those involved in the irregularities, Minister Prem Kumar emphasized that stringent action would be taken against those found guilty of manipulating paddy acquisition. He clarified that investigations into discrepancies across various departments, including health and others, have been ongoing during the Mahagathbandhan government. The minister reiterated this stance while responding to budget debates in the Legislative Council.
Furthermore, Minister Prem Kumar disclosed plans to establish cooperative buildings in every district of Bihar, with work already initiated in some regions. He highlighted that there has been a significant increase in minimum support prices for rice procurement, with a 56% rise in minimum support prices and a 75% increase in procurement over the past few years. According to him, the agricultural road map in Bihar has contributed to the economic growth of farmers.
During the budget debates, a walkout was staged by members of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) as Minister Prem Kumar concluded his responses to various departmental budgets. Opposition members criticized the government, while ruling party legislators vehemently defended their positions. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar remained present during the proceedings, although he did not make any statements.
Minister Prem Kumar’s announcement comes in the wake of ongoing investigations into the departments of health, urban development, road construction, mining, and the PHED (Public Health Engineering Department) under the Mahagathbandhan quota. The Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar, had earlier mentioned the need to scrutinize these departments. Currently, inquiries into rice procurement will follow a similar pattern. The announcement was made during the Legislative Council session on Thursday by Agriculture and Cooperative Minister Dr. Prem Kumar.
