Then the other question raised was about adequate prices to the producer. This year we have permitted a rise in the prices of rice, millets and wheat that we have procured. There was a certain disparity about the procurement prices, but now in every district we propose to procure the same quality of rice at a uniform rate. In Maharashtra and Karnatak districts we have permitted a sufficient and reasonable rise in the prices to the producers, and as far as my information goes, the producers are happy about it. So, I do not think that the hon. Member Shri Bharucha will persist in his complaint that the producer is not getting a reasonable share in the price.
Then a complaint was made about the quality of foodgrains sometimes issued in ration. I might concede that point in the case of overseas wheat, but I cannot say so in the case of all the other grains. I have no control over that situation of supply of overseas wheat. Whatever we get we have to issue, but we issue only after cleaning and after taking all the care that we can.
The other question raised was about the percentage of the loss in the godowns. The hon. Member Shri Bharucha said that this percentage works out to 8, but I have got figures calculated for 1950-51 and 1951-52. This loss includes shortages, thefts, shrinkages, conversion losses, wastage, and so on. The percentages work out to .709 in the year 1950-51 to the turnover and .897 in the year 1951-52. From this I do not think that anybody can reasonably say that this is an excessive loss.
Then there was a consistent demand made by hon. Members that I should give certain information about the future of the staff retrenched from the Civil Supplies Department. We have given our thought to this question and we have tried to do whatever we can to our utmost. As far as recruitment in this State in the Government departments is concerned, the Government has decided to shut out the recruitment from the open market, if I may use that term. We have instructed all the recruiting officers and the heads of departments that in Bombay and in the districts they should employ only those persons who are on the list of retrenched persons from the Civil Supplies Department. As regards the recruitment to be made through the Public Service Commission, we cannot keep the same condition. The Public Service Commission will send its advertisements to our officer and we might send our information to it, if called for. The other thing that we have done is that we have relaxed the condition about the age limit. We have, however, kept one condition, that he must have been within the age limit when he was first appointed in the Civil Supplies Department. In order to mitigate the hardships of people who are retrenched, we are granting them terminal leave and gratuity, provided they have put in at least five years’ service.
