Bengaluru, Jan 15 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately approve the procurement of Bengal gram (Chana) under the Price Support Scheme (PSS).
In his letter, the chief minister said he was writing in view of the deep distress for lakhs of Bengal gram growers in Karnataka, whose livelihoods are facing crisis due to prices ruling well below the MSP during the current Rabi marketing season.
He pointed out that Bengal gram is one of the principal pulse crops in the state, cultivated over 9.24 lakh hectares with an estimated production of 6.27 lakh metric tonne, sustaining farmers across districts, including Dharwad, Gadag, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Bidar, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari, Chitradurga, Bagalkote, Davanagere and Chikkamagaluru.
Despite the Centre declaring an MSP of Rs 5,875 per quintal for Bengal gram for the Rabi marketing season 2026-27, Siddaramaiah said the market prices in Karnataka were significantly below MSP, ranging between Rs 4,260 and Rs 5,813 per quintal.
He noted that in several APMC markets, farmers were being forced to sell their produce from Rs 800 to Rs 1,200 below MSP, even before peak arrivals had begun.
“This price erosion is not merely a market aberration, it is a human crisis. When the declared MSP does not translate into real procurement on the ground, it erodes farmers’ faith in the institutional framework meant to protect them,” Siddaramaiah said in his letter addressed to PM Modi on 14 January, a copy of which released to the media on Thursday.
With harvest arrivals set to intensify between January and March, he cautioned that there was a genuine risk of further price collapse, aggravating rural distress.
Urging immediate intervention, Siddaramaiah called upon the Centre to approve procurement under the PSS and direct central nodal agencies.
“I urge the Government of India to immediately accord approval for procurement of Bengal gram under the Price Support Scheme and direct Central Nodal Agencies such as NAFED and NCCF to operationalise procurement centres in Karnataka without delay,” he said.
The chief minister assured full cooperation from the state, stating that Karnataka had already issued necessary notifications, designated state agencies, and furnished all undertakings as per PSS guidelines.
He said the state was ready to facilitate farmer registration, warehousing, transportation and exemption of state levies to ensure smooth procurement.
“Procurement at MSP is not merely an administrative exercise, it is an affirmation of the nation’s commitment to the dignity of its farmers,” Siddaramaiah said.
He urged the Prime Minister to approve MSP procurement at the earliest to protect farmers from distress sales, stabilise markets and uphold the credibility of the MSP regime. PTI GMS KH
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