BJP demands Pawar's scalp in wheat import scandal

New Delhi, July 12 (UNI) Smelling a 'huge scam' in the import of five million tonnes of wheat, the BJP today demanded Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar to resign immediately owning responsibility for hurting the economy due to the ''dubious decision''.

BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar said it was a surprise of surprises that the the government which had rejected the tender for wheat import finding the quotation for 263 US dollars per tonne of wheat as 'high' only in May 2007 had agreed to pay a price ranging between 320 and 360 dollars to three companies.

Of these companies selected was the US-based food giant Kargil, a company which was allowed to procure wheat paying Rs 900 per tonne to Indian farmers. There is every chance of this company supplying the procured wheat to the government at Rs 1300 per tonne and making a huge profit for itself, Mr Javadekar alleged. India, he said, had imported five million tonnes of wheat at 230 dollars only last year, he said.

The Government on its part was not willing to pay Indian farmer more than Rs 850 per tonne while it will not mind paying Rs 1,300 to foreign companies at a time when the wheat production in the country had increased to 73.5 million tonnes compared to 69.4 million tonnes last year. The only difference was that the government godowns were empty during the UPA regime while they used to be full during the NDA regime, he said.

He said the UPA government could increase domestic wheat production if it were to come out with a long-term wheat policy and pay handsome amount to the farmers but it would go against the interests of the import lobby, he alleged.

He said even if the government wanted to import, it should have procured without fanfare when the costs of wheat in the international market were the lowest. The way the government went ahead with its pronounced buying, the wheat prices had registered a steep 13 per cent jump in the Chicago Board of Trade, which deals with forward trading. The entire deal reeks of a big scandal and there has to be a thorough probe and the minister has to quit, he added.

UNI