Govt to continue wheat imports: Pawar

NEW DELHI: Government on Monday said it would continue to import wheat on regular basis to meet any exigency like drought, even if it costs high.

"We are going to buy wheat on a regular basis. Though there is no shortage of the foodgrain, it is a conscious decision of the government," Agriculture and Food Minister Sharad Pawar told reporters here.

He said the imported wheat would be for augmenting the buffer stocks to meet any crisis like drought.

Reacting to the opposition's charges of a scam in wheat import, he said "some of my friends have made baseless allegation."

Pawar said the current requirement of wheat under the public distribution system would be met with procurement of 1.11 million tons this year and a carryover stock of 4.6 million tons from last year.