CHANDIGARH: The Union Minister & Senior BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu today held AAP led Punjab government responsible for creating glut in the state's grain markets during the ensuing paddy procurement season.
Addressing the media persons here today, Bittu said that this was first time ever when every sector related to agriculture was facing brunt of wrong decision made by Chief Minister of an agrarian economy like Punjab. The Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has not dared to step foot even in a single grain market of the state to know harsh ground realities that farmers are facing. Instead the former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has already been to the grain markets to share the problems of farmers.
He added that by putting the farmers, commission agents, rice millers and transporters at unease, Punjab government was avenging its defeat from the people of state in recently concluded Lok Sabha elections.
Bittu said that during recently conducted meeting with the center, CM Bhagwant Singh Maan had committed that more than 3 lakh MT of space was lying vacant with Punjab government for storing paddy. "If there is no dearth of space, then why are Punjab's mandis flooded with paddy, " he questioned.
Terming the Aam Aadmi government as immature, Bittu said that the government has wrongly approved hybrid varieties of PR 126 paddy, which has become bane for this procurement season. "The original PR 126 variety developed b y Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) Ludhiana is a savior for the farmers. It costs just Rs 56 per kg and thrice can be used for preparing nursery for paddy transplantation, " he said.
However, currently a spate of hybrid PR 126 varieties paddy seeds has flooded the market. These hybrids were made available to farmer at whopping Rs 5600 per kg. The variety is riddled with diseases and farmers have ended up not only paying hefty price of seeds but also had to splurge on pesticides and insecticides.
Added to this, the Punjab government has miserably failed on the front of procurement and milling of paddy despite a robust system by FCI in place. Commending the work of FCI in procuring both paddy and wheat in record time across the country, Sh Bittu said that no matter which government was in power in state, Punjab had never faced procurement issues.
He added that two months ago, the center government had already released Rs 44000 cr to the state to ensure proper and smooth procurement season. "If the state wants, center could provide Rs 10000 cr more for MSP. But the short-sighted state government doesn't even know what to ask for from center, " he quipped.
He added that center government was is committed to buy every grain from Punjab to pump the same into Public Distribution System (PDS) so that the poor and hungry people can be fed. The grains procured are sent to all the states as per their requirement. The paddy is especially in demand in north-east and other states where rice is a staple diet.
Bittu also raised the issue of delay in signing the custom miller policy, which is creating problems for the rice millers. He said that the policy should have been signed by August, but it was given approval in October.
He demanded that strict action should be taken against those in Punjab whose wrong policy decisions have brought all sections of society on the roads this festive season.
Prominent among others present included State General Secretary BJP Punjab Anil Sarin, State President Kissan Morcha BJP Darshan Singh Nenawal, State Coordinator of Cells Ranjan Kamra and State Media Head Vineet Joshi