CHANDIGARH: Punjab Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira today in a letter written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah has demanded CBI inquiry into state wide Rs. 5, 000 crores “Loot” and exploitation of farmers of Punjab, during the just concluded paddy procurement season 2024-25.
Khaira said that like every year the Government of India released Rs. 43, 000 crores as Cash Credit Limit (CCL) to the Government of Punjab in the month of September 2024, to make arrangements for procurement of approximately 185 lac metric tons of expected paddy crop in the Mandi’s of Punjab. Needless to mention, the said payment was supposed to be transferred directly into the accounts of farmers at the fixed MSP rate of Rs. 2320 per quintal.
The Punjab government in a well planned strategy spread a word amongst the farmers that the paddy stock and shelled rice of the previous season 2023-24 has not been lifted by the Government of India from the godowns and rice shellers of Punjab, hence smooth procurement at full MSP rates of paddy crop will not be possible. The state procurement agencies also cited the 17 percent moisture content of paddy as an impediment to pay farmers full MSP of Rs. 2320 per quintal.
As a result of this scare created by the officials of state procurement agencies like Markfed, Pungrain, Warehousing Corporation etc., the farmers were forced to sell their paddy crop at distress sale. If any farmer approached the district administration like the DC, SDM etc., they too expressed helplessness forcing farmers across Punjab to sell their paddy crop at much lower rates of Rs. 150 to 500 per quintal than the fixed MSP of Rs. 2320.
Khaira stated that if a agency like CBI inquires this scandal, tens and thousands of farmers will provide temporary sale slips given to them by their respective commission agents wherein the actual distress sale ranging between Rs 150-500 is mentioned against the actual total weight of their paddy crop. This itself will completely expose the above said scandal of blatant “Loot” of farmers by the ruling party nexus, corrupt officials etc.
Khaira alleged that in order to save their skin, the said nexus of procurement officials in connivance with rice sheller owners and commission agents, transferred money at full MSP of Rs. 2320 into the accounts of the farmers but decreased the weight of their paddy crop.
Farmers organized statewide protest Dharna’s and submitted many complaints to their respective DC’s and SDM’s but to no avail.
By indulging in this organized exploitation and government sponsored “Loot”, the farmers lost at least 5, 000 crores during the sale of their paddy crop across Punjab. I am of the view that this Rs. 5, 000 crore has gone into the pockets of powerful ruling politicians like Arvind Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann and their corrupt coterie besides the nexus of corrupt officials and rice sheller-commission agents of Punjab.
Khaira said that if a fair and impartial inquiry into this “Loot” is conducted, he is sure the farmers will provide thousands and lacs of affidavits in shape of complaints, of having been cheated forcing them to sell their crop at rates much lower than the fixed MSP of Rs. 2320.