A delegation of Punjab BJP leaders on Sunday met Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and submitted a memorandum alleging inefficiency on part of the AAP government in the state for “tardy” paddy lifting.

The delegation urged the governor to intervene and ensure the complete lifting of paddy from mandis as a “gift” to the farmers of the state so that they can “celebrate Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas with their families”.

 The memorandum said, “Due to inefficiency on the part of the Punjab government, even after 26 days of official commencement of paddy procurement, the Punjab government has failed to lift most of the paddy from the mandis across the state.”

Paddy procurement for Kharif Marketing Season 2024-25 commenced in Punjab from October one, according to the BJP delegation that included Avinash Rai Khanna, Preneet Kaur, Harjit Singh Grewal, Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, Vijay Sampla, Vineet Joshi and Fateh Jang Bajwa.

“Before the commencement of the season, in the last week of September, Punjab government got Rs 44,000 crore for the purchase of paddy on MSP from the central government,” the memorandum said.

The BJP’s memorandum further alleged that the Punjab government has miserably failed to make all the necessary arrangements on time to ensure the smooth purchase of paddy: be it the purchase of gunny bags, tarpaulin or notification of custom milling policy or notification of FRK (fortified rice kernels) milling policy or awarding of labour contracts or transportation contracts, etc.

The state government has also failed to ensure proper drinking water, toilet facilities, and compulsory medical facilities at mandis, the memorandum said.

 The biggest failure of the government is its inability to enter into an agreement with 5,500 rice millers for the milling of paddy, it said. “Now, the ongoing paddy procurement crisis in Punjab has spiralled into a serious law and order issue,” it said.    

“Farmers who have been protesting since the first week of October, have now increased the intensity of their 15-20 day long agitation and are now blocking the national and state highways and local roads. It has led to great inconvenience to the people of Punjab during the festive season,” it said.

Notably, farmers under the banner of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha on Saturday held road blockades at a few places in Punjab for an indefinite period to protest the “tardy” paddy procurement and lifting and other issues.

Protests were held at Badarukhan on Sangrur-Bathinda highway in Sangrur, Dagru on Moga-Ferozepur highway in Moga, Satiali Phul on Gurdasour-Tanda highway in Gurdaspur and Batala railway station, farmers said.

Seeking the governor’s intervention to end the “tardy” paddy procurement, the BJP delegation’s memorandum said, “We request your good self to intervene and ensure the complete lifting of paddy from mandis and gift farmers of Punjab happiness to celebrate the Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas with their families.

The BJP urged the governor to ask the Punjab government to take all steps to ensure proper supply of DAP and urea for the next sowing season “as this is the next impending disaster Punjab will face”.

Notably, paddy lifting from mandis (wholesale markets) in Punjab has been hit after the state rice millers refused to mill the paddy till their demands were met.

Rice millers have expressed concern over the out-turn ratio (post-milling yield) of the PR-126 variety and other hybrid varieties, claiming that it will cause them huge losses.

BJP leader and former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh had on Friday lashed out at Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the “tardy” paddy procurement in the state, alleging the latter “turned his back on the farmers” facing hardships in the mandis.