Govt should procure foodgrains from open market: Pawar

New Delhi, Sep 20 (UNI) The Government should purchase foodgrains from the open market to distribute under public distribution system (PDS), Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said today.

''The Government should provide money from the state revenue to buy foodgrains from the open market, if it wants to implement the scheme (PDS),'' he said while addressing a conference here.

Earlier, the farmers had no option rather to sell their produce to the designated agency, Mr Pawar said.

The budget should incorporate the relaxations that the government wants to extend to the economically weaker section of society, he said.

On the price hike in some varieties of rice, the minister said the production of rice is good in this season.

UNI