Centre, Punjab on collision course over digitizing MSP payment system

The Punjab government and the Centre are set for a collision course as the Union government is planning to digitise minimum support price (MSP).

The Congress government in Punjab and the Union government are set for a collision course over the Centre’s plan to digitise minimum support price (MSP). The Punjab government has been avoiding the digitization process for three years. In a letter to Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, Union food minister Piyush Goyal asked him to ensure the process of digitising MSP payment system. Sources close to the Ministry of Finance and Food said Punjab was given a number of exemptions since May 28, 2018, when all 12 procuring states, including Punjab, were asked to digitise the MSP payments.