Chandigarh, Oct 25 (IANS): Promising to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to resolve the issue of “tardy” paddy procurement, two-time Punjab Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Capt Amarinder Singh on Friday visited Asia's largest grain market in Khanna to assess the ground situation and met with farmers, “arthiyas” (commission agents) and labourers.
Expressing concern over the plight of farmers, he lambasted the AAP government for its failure to procure the PR126 paddy variety, leaving farmers in distress.
“The situation is alarming. During my tenure, no farmer had to sleep in the ‘mandi’ even once. They would bring their produce, it would get procured, and they would get money in their accounts all in one day. Today, farmers are sitting with their crop in ‘mandis’ for 10 days, and it's not even being procured at MSP (minimum support price),” Capt Amarinder Singh told the media.
He questioned Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's absence from the procurement centres, saying, “Why hasn't the Chief Minister visited any ‘mandi’ even once? Why isn't his Food and Agriculture Minister coming to address the concerns? The government encouraged farmers to sow PR126, but now they're running away from procuring it.”
Capt Amarinder Singh pointed out that CM Mann lacks governance experience, and AAP leaders have no expertise. “Before the season began, the CM should have resolved issues by visiting the central government. The AAP government is ruining Punjab due to ego and power struggles.”
Highlighting the stark contrast, Capt Amarinder Singh said, “No CM, minister, or even MLA has visited ‘mandis’ recently to address these concerns. During my 10-year tenure, we ensured seamless procurement. I fulfilled my CM duties by visiting the centre and securing funds. Former CM Parkash Singh Badal also worked tirelessly for Punjab's welfare by engaging with the Centre when needed.”
To ensure quick resolution, Capt Amarinder Singh promised, “I will personally meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Food and Distribution Minister Pralhad Joshi to address this issue, which should have been Bhagwant Mann's responsibility in the first place.”
He emphassed that the Centre had already sent Rs 44,000 crore to the state government for procurement. “I will also urge the Central government to ensure that ‘arthiyas’ get compensation for the PR126 crop. How can they pay for the gap from their own pockets?”
“The allegations of Centre's indifference are baseless. Punjab has always had different governments at the Centre and the state, but this problem of non-lifting never arose before. It's a clear failure of the AAP government,” he asserted.`