In yet another sign of internal tensions within the ruling MahaYuti alliance, the BJP-led Maharashtra government has flagged alleged irregularities in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) scheme implemented under Deputy CM Eknath Shinde’s previous administration. The move comes as the government, under Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, has ordered a probe and set up a panel to formulate a new policy for crop procurement.
The state’s Marketing Ministry, led by BJP’s Jaykumar Rawal, has formed a six-member committee to investigate claims of malpractice in the selection of nodal agencies for agricultural procurement under the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) scheme. According to the order issued on February 17, several state-level nodal agencies were allegedly demanding money from farm producers’ companies to start procurement centers and were even illegally deducting funds during the procurement process.
The order also highlighted governance lapses, stating that some nodal agencies had members from the same family occupying key positions on their boards. Given these concerns, the state government has decided to establish stricter guidelines for selecting nodal institutions responsible for implementing MSP schemes.
