63,934 MT of paddy purchased, 223 MT lifted in Jalandhar district

Around 17,256 MT of paddy arrived in the district mandis on Monday. A total of 68,180 MT of arrival has already been recorded till date, while 63,934 MT of paddy has been purchased. Despite this, only 223 MT of the crop has been lifted.

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The mandis in Jalandhar are filled with gunny bags containing paddy. A visit to the district’s main grain market revealed that no lifting was still being done.

Gurnam Singh, an elderly woman from Dhanowali village, said he had been coming to the mandi for the last four days. “After a long wait, the procurement was started, but today few farmers in the main grain market claimed that no purchase was done. “It seems that there is no availability of bardanas (gunny bags) too. Arhtiyas have brought the bardanas on their own and have been giving us,” he said.

Gurnam Singh, another farmer from Gakhala village, said farmers are fearful of their future. “Everything seem bleak for now. Nobody knows what would happen. Such a situation has been seen for the first time,” he said.

“Harvesting has not even started yet properly. After the panchayat elections are over, there will be a huge rush that one will find little space to even stand here. The government is mum and nobody is doing anything to resolve the issue,” the distressed farmer said.

A similar situation has been reported from other mandis in various villages as well.

Gurvinder Singh, a farmer from Gakhal village, spent some nights at the mandi, guarding and looking after his produce when no procurement had started. “We cannot leave our produce unattended. Last night, though I covered the grains with a tarpauling, it got drenched,” he said.