Lashing out at the Punjab Government for not making prior arrangements regarding procurement of wheat and gunny bags (bardana), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday demanded immediate action from the State Government to address the farmers’ plight.
AAP MLA from Kotkapura and party’s Kisan wing president Kultar Singh Sandhwan wrote a letter to the Punjab’s Food and Civil Supplies Minister
Bharat Bhushan Ashu seeking his attention to the farmers’ plight.
“Due to Government’s lax arrangements, the farmers are facing many difficulties and due to the lack of gunny bags, the procurement and disbursement of the crop by the farmers has been facing severe difficulties for a long time,” said Sandhwan.
“Apart from this, due to inclement weather and rains across Punjab, the crop of farmers is spoiled in the mandis which is very unfortunate and worrisome,” he said adding that the farmers in Punjab had been struggling and suffering in mandis for days over their crops.
As per the statistics, about 10 lakh tonnes of wheat had been soaked due to rains in the State due to inclement weather and the farmers were facing more difficulties than before to sell it.
Demanding action in the matter besides asking the Minister to give strict instructions to the officials concerned, Sandhwan said that this way, the farmers could avoid struggling in the mandis and their wheat crop could be procured in an orderly manner.
AAP leader also demanded that “rain-soaked wheat” should be procured immediately in the mandis and their moisture content should be relaxed as it was soaked due to the incompetence of the Punjab Government.
“If the Government still does not address the plight of the farmers and does not address the shortage of bags and expedite the procurement of wheat.
AAP will gherao the residence of Minister Ashu,” he declared.