With paddy procurement all set to begin from October 1, the Punjab Government has issued directions to all Deputy Commissioners to disallow damp paddy from entering the state’s grain markets — a decision that has led to a protest by farmers’ unions.
The State Food and Civil Supplies department has asked the Deputy Commissioners to ensure that only dry paddy reaches state’s mandis. The Department, in its strict guidelines, has also asked the farmers to bring damp paddy only after properly drying the same.
Besides, the Department has also asked the commission agents to not to bring wet paddy in the mandis, and make the farmers aware about the same so that the procurement process be completed hassle free and on time.
“Civil supplies department has asked the DCs not to allow the entry of trolleys and trucks carrying wet paddy in the grain markets. No procurement agency would buy wet or damp paddy, and this would unnecessarily block the space in the mandis delaying the entire process,” a senior government official, requesting anonymity, told The Pioneer.
The official said that the government want that all farmers get due cost of their produce and, this was the only way to ensure “right amount and on right time”.
“The various arhtiya associations, that have a crucial role in the procurement process, have also been asked to ensure entry of dry paddy in mandis. They have also been asked to educate the farmers in this respect by telling them, the pros and cons for the same,” said the official.
On the other hand, the farmer unions have raised objection over government’s decision. “We don’t have any other space to keep our paddy. The paddy that has been harvested has to be kept in the mandis, farmers don’t have any alternate place to keep it,” said the state unit head of Bharti Kisan Union (BKU) Baldev Singh Mianpur.
Many farmers have already started harvesting of paddy in advance. Punjab contributes over 50 per cent food grains, including wheat and paddy, to the national kitty, despite having only 1.54 percent of the country’s geographical area.
This year, the wheat procurement process was also delayed after the procurement agencies refused to lift the damaged grains, resulted by the unseasonal rains, causing much harassment to the farmers.
Already, “boycott” threat by the state’s Rice Millers’ Association, for not participating in the procurement process, has cast shadow on the stat government’s claims of ensuring “smooth” procurement process.
The state-base rice millers have accused the state-owned procurement agencies of “harassing” them by demanding “unjustified dues” by asking them to pay charges for deviating from the monthly schedule of rice delivery.
They further alleged that they were not paid the transportation charges for transporting paddy for the last two seasons.
The state Cabinet, in its meeting, had reviewed the arrangements for the paddy procurement during the Kharif marketing season for the year 2015-16 to begin from October 1 and to be completed by December 15.
Five state procurement agencies — PUNGRAIN, MARKFED, PUNSUP, Punjab State Warehousing Corporation, Punjab, Punjab Agro Food Grains Corporation, besides Food Corporation of India (FCI) would procure paddy on MSP as per the specifications laid down by the Centre.
The state government has made elaborate arrangements for procuring 137 lakh MT Paddy during the ensuing Kharif season. During KMS 2014-15 118.40 lMT paddy was procured.
As many as 1817 purchase centers have been notified by the state government for sale or purchase of paddy. Monitoring and review of procurement process was being closely done on regular basis by state cabinet ministers in their district and senior officers from head quarter.