Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh-
Following the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s decision to quash the Punjab government’s blanket ban on notified hybrid paddy seeds, rice millers across the state have categorically refused to mill hybrid paddy varieties. In response, the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, on Tuesday firmly demanded that the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government treat the issue with utmost seriousness and address it as an urgent priority.
“The Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has already advanced paddy procurement, moving the commencement date from October 1 to September 15. The government must act without delay. With procurement set to begin in less than a month, timely intervention is essential,” Bajwa asserted.
Senior Congress Leader Bajwa held the AAP government directly responsible for the heavy losses suffered by farmers during the last paddy procurement season. Despite the Minimum Support Price (MSP) guarantee, many farmers were forced to sell their produce below MSP due to the government's failure to enforce procurement norms.
“In multiple districts, farmers received only Rs 1,700 to Rs 2,100 per quintal for their produce, even though it was officially billed at the MSP of Rs 2,300 per quintal by procurement agencies during the 2024 season. This was the largest scam in Punjab’s agricultural history, and shockingly, it remains uninvestigated,” Bajwa stated firmly.
Bajwa noted that farmers in several Punjab districts are already facing challenges due to recent floods, which have submerged thousands of acres of farmland. He emphasized the importance of ensuring these farmers can sell their remaining produce at MSP.