Closed offices, no passes, farmers made to wait with produce in Punjab

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 15

The tall claims made by the state government about arrangements for procuring wheat in the rural areas of the district have fallen flat, as at many grain markets, the market committee offices were lying shut down. Resultantly, farmers kept waiting to sell their produce on day one of the procurement.

Exposing the preparedness of the district administration, some farmers alleged that they had not got passes to sell their produce, whereas at many grain markets, no market committee officials were seen present.

Shingara Singh Mann, district president of the BKU (Ekta Urgahan), said “Farmers usually bring a combine harvester machine to the fields, harvest the crop and then take it directly to the grain markets to sell it further. This practice is adopted because most farmers don’t have the space to store their produce at their homes. Now, since only 50 quintal of crops can be sold at a time, most farmers are in a fix.”

Mann said: “In villages, no arrangement has been made for wheat procurement, as many farmers are without coupons and also officials are not present at the grain markets for purchasing the crop.”

Jagmail Singh of Jhumba village said: “It is afternoon now and I have been waiting for the market committee officials to come to the grain market since 10 am, but no official has arrived so far.”

Jagsir Singh, a farmer, said: “Since farmers are allowed to bring 50 quintals of crop to the grain market at a time, they have to store the remaining crop in their houses. This adds to the financial burden.” DC B Srinivasan said: “The process will be streamlined after April 17.”