The Punjab Congress on Wednesday held Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal responsible for delayed and disorderly procurement of paddy.
The party has, in fact, demanded “quick, honourable and smooth” procurement of paddy. It has also dared Badal to speak up for the farmers of Punjab.
It has asked the five-time Chief Minister to press upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi to implement recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission and also have the minimum support price (MSP) linked to the price index, as often demanded by him and his so-called farmer-friendly Shiromani Akali Dal.
Taking on Badal for never missing an opportunity to severely criticize the Congress led UPA government at the Centre during last 10 years for being anti-farmer, the party pointed that now he himself had miserably failed to ensure smooth procurement of paddy not only for the current season but ever since in power from 2007 onwards, forcing farmers to distress sale besides the harassment.
“The NDA Government may have relaxed moisture content norm from 14 to 15 per cent a day before, but it is still adamant to fill 35 kg gunny bags with 37.50 kg paddy in them creating hurdles for smooth procurement of paddy. As a result, farmers not only have to languish in mandis for many days, but are also being forced to sell their produce to private millers at lower rates,” said the Congress leader Sukhpal Khaira.
He pointed that Badal uttered no word when Modi government offered a meager increase of `50 per quintal in paddy MSP, and even when the Central Government offered `420 per acre compensation for using diesel-run generators to sustain their paddy crop in the wake of 63 percent deficient rainfall.