AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat government has touted its groundnut procurement at support prices as a major benefit for farmers, but controversy has erupted after Amreli BJP leader Dr Bharat Kanabar alleged corruption in the process.
Kanabar took to social media platform ‘X’ to raise serious questions about irregularities, intensifying the dispute. While corruption charges are typically levelled by opposition leaders, the accusation from within the ruling party has made the issue even more contentious.
The state had initiated the procurement to ensure farmers received fair prices, but Kanabar’s post suggests traders and officials may have manipulated the system for personal gain.
Dr. Bharat Kanabar alleged that a major scam has been unearthed in the purchase of groundnuts at the support price, with traders, officials, and even farmers allegedly involved. In a post on X, Kanabar exposed how individuals who never planted peanuts used fraudulent means to exploit the system.
"This year, Gujarat's support price for groundnuts was Rs 250 to Rs 350 higher than the market rate," Kanabar wrote.
"To cash in on this gap, traders, corrupt officials, and middlemen operated in most market yards. They misused the 7/12 land records of farmers who never grew peanuts, purchasing low-quality pods from the market and selling them at the support price. The scale of this collusion runs into crores."
Slamming those responsible, he wrote, "I despise the officials who defrauded the government. I am disappointed in the traders who misused others' land records to profit. And shame on the farmers who, knowingly or unknowingly, became part of this conspiracy by handing over their 7/12 documents."
Dr. Kanabar escalated the controversy by tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and several Gujarat BJP leaders and ministers in his social media post. His move signals the seriousness of the allegations and puts pressure on the party’s top leadership to respond to the alleged corruption in groundnut procurement.
Dr. Bharat Kanabar, former Amreli district BJP president, has been a vocal critic of corruption within the government system. His latest allegations of irregularities in the groundnut procurement process have further intensified discontent among farmers.
As the controversy deepens, farmers are demanding strict action against traders and officials allegedly involved in the scam.
