Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the state government on a public interest litigation (PIL) alleging large-scale delays and mismanagement in the procurement of crops at Minimum Support Price (MSP).
The petition, filed by Gopal Singh, raised concerns that nearly 55% of the state’s population—primarily farmers—is being adversely affected due to the failure of authorities to ensure timely procurement of wheat and other crops.
A Division Bench of Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla and Justice Alok Awasthi heard the matter and directed the respondents to file their response within four weeks. During the hearing, the court allowed an application to implead the Food Corporation of India (FCI) as a respondent, directing Singh to carry out necessary amendments within three working days.
Advocate Harshwardhan Singh Rathore, appearing for the petitioner, argued that persistent delays and uncertainty in MSP procurement have caused significant hardship to farmers across Madhya Pradesh.
Representing the state, Rahul Sethi raised preliminary objections regarding the maintainability of the PIL and questioned the petitioner’s locus standi, noting the existence of several registered farmer associations. The High Court, however, declined to examine these objections at this stage, leaving the issue of maintainability open.
The matter will be taken up after the respondents file their responses.
