Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday voiced concerns regarding the difficulties faced by farmers in Punjab’s mandis, attributing these challenges to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s policies. After SAD’s core committee meeting led by the party’s working president Balwinder Singh Bhunder, senior leader Bikram Singh Majithia revealed that the meeting primarily focused on the ongoing paddy procurement issues, emphasizing the need for immediate action. The committee plans to approach Governor Gulab Chand Kataria to discuss the situation and demand a CBI inquiry into alleged coercive tactics employed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) officials and private players to force farmers to sell their produce below the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
Majithia criticized the government’s failure to procure early varieties of paddy, like PR-126, which the Chief Minister had encouraged farmers to plant. Many farmers now find themselves in a dire situation as government agencies, including Markfed, Pungrain, and Punsup, are not buying these varieties, leading to significant financial losses.
“Farmers are being misled by AAP functionaries and private traders into selling their paddy for prices significantly lower than the MSP, causing distress that is unacceptable,” he said. Reports indicated that Basmati rice is selling for only Rs 2,700 per quintal, down from last year’s Rs 4,000, translating into losses of Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 per acre for farmers, he said.
Majithia emphasized the lack of government intervention to alleviate these hardships, pointing out that no AAP Minister has visited the mandis to address the procurement delays or shortages of essential supplies.
