Terming it double jeopardy for the farmers who had already suffered crop losses due to unseasonal rains, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday demanded reconsideration by the Central Government of its decision to impose value cut on MSP of wheat procured under the specifications in the State.
The relaxation given for Rabi Marketing Season 2019-20, to compensate for the crop losses, should be allowed without any value cut, the Chief Minister has stated in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Capt asked Modi to direct the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution to immediately review their decision on value cut which entails direct loss for the farmers who are already reeling under extreme financial stress.
In his letter, the Chief Minister pointed out that after acceding to the state’s request (vide letter dated April 26, 2019) for relaxation in specifications of lustre loss in wheat, the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India, had gone ahead to impose a value cut for the same on the farmers.
This was clearly a double jeopardy for the farmers, who, for no fault of theirs, were forced to suffer twice — first as a result of inclement weather on more than one occasion since the procurement commenced, leading to great difficulties in harvesting of the crop, and secondly on account of the value cut on MSP for their produce, leading to substantial loss in income. The value cut was clearly not justified, said Capt Amarinder.
It may be recalled that the Chief Minister had written a DO letter to the PM even earlier, on April 22, 2019, requesting relaxation in the uniform specifications of wheat to be procured in the state without any value cut during RMS 2019-20.