MUMBAI: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis today demanded increase in the import duty of tur from 10 to 25 per cent to ensure price stability.
The demand was made during a meeting with union minister Ramvilas Paswan this morning in New Delhi.
Fadnavis demanded that the import duty on tur be increased from 10 per cent to 25 per cent for price stability and also requested the Centre to purchase tur that has arrived at the procurement centres till April 22.
The centre had given an extension to tur procurement on the request of the state government but the final extension ended on April 22.
Fadnavis also discussed the need to frame a long-term policies for price management and purchase mechanism with Paswan, an official in the chief minister's office said.
Meanwhile, state congress president Ashok Chavan criticised the decision to stop tur procurement and called it as betrayal of farmers.
"If the government doesn't restart the procurement congress will launch an agitation in protest," he said.
Leader of opposition in the Assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil too demanded that tur procurement should continue and government must ensure that farmers get their payments on time.