Warning the State Government’s purchasing agencies and marketing officials’ against exploitation of paddy farmers, the Congress legislative Party (ClP) leader Sunil Jakhar on Friday said that he may lead the sit-ins in state’s grain markets.
He alleged the Government purchasing agencies and marketing officials for indulging in loot and plunder of farmers and forcing them for distress sale.
“We will not allow such malpractices and would lead affected farmers in squatting at the grain markets,” he warned.
Taking the Government to task for making tall claims over transparent and effective purchase arrangements for paddy, he said that the same had fallen flat as usual. “The farmers are being forced to go in for distress sale below the minimum support price (MSP),” he said.
“The ruling politicians had, two weeks back, inaugurated paddy purchase even when rice-millers were yet to be listed, packing material not supplied to commission agents, lifting arrangements were pending but they went ahead with playing political gimmicks,” he said.
He said that there was glut of paddy in most of the grain markets, farmers had to stand guard in open to protect paddy stacks as purchase, lifting and payments were delayed.
The vested interests created a situation to force farmers to pocket off payments ranging Rs 25 to Rs 100 per quintal under hand to get paddy sold, he said.
Jakhar said that purchase agencies and Punjab Mandi Board officials were equally accountable for the present dismal situation. “As the State Government was busy in diffusing the violent protests over bir desecration, vested interests are enjoying a free hand in harming the agrarian sector,” he said.