Port Blair, Aug 20: Subsequent to the meeting with Lt Gen (Retd) AK Singh, Lt Governor, A & N Islands yesterday (19-08-2013) on copra procurement issue, Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray, Member of Parliament, A & N Islands today (20-08-2013) met the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Sharad Pawar at 12:40 pm at room no. 42 of the Parliament of India, New Delhi to follow up the letter sent by LG’s Secretariat in July 2013, urging for round the year copra procurement scheme for the benefit of copra producers of the Islands. The Minister acknowledged the receipt of the said letter on the subject and accepted the genuine viewpoints mentioned in it. Supporting the LG’s viewpoint the MP too demanded that considering the geographical and market availability difficulties, the copra growers of the islands including the tribal people who solely depend on the income from copra for their livelihood, should be given special moratorium and the procurement of copra under Minimum Support Price scheme through NAFED should continue all round the year.
The Minister of Agriculture accepting the viewpoints and considering the plight of the Copra producers in the Islands as mentioned in LG’s letter, called the Managing Director of NAFED in MP’s presence and directed him to resume procurement of copra from A & N Islands and Lakshadweep immediately.
The Managing Director of NAFED following the direction of Minister of Agriculture, agreed in principle to resume the procurement of copra in the Islands within a week. This is good news for all the Islanders including the Nicobarese tribal members who are badly in need of money to sustain their livelihood.
The MP has thanked the Minister of Agriculture for his sensitive approach in directing the NAFED for implementation of uninterrupted copra procurement MSP scheme for the Islands. Similarly the MP has also expressed his gratitude to the Lt Governor for taking up the Copra issue before the Minister of Agriculture and urging for continuation of the MSP scheme for Copra round the year instead of the current arrangement of 90 days scheme for Copra procurement.
