Won’t take crop back, govt making excuses: Punjab farmers

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, October 1

Despite the government’s decision to postpone paddy procurement in Punjab till October 11, farmers have started bringing their crop to the Lehragaga grain market, creating problems for the authorities and arhtiyas.

Issue being resolved

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Some farmers have brought their paddy to our market. Since the purchase will start after October 11, we are trying to arrange private purchasers so that farmers can sell their crop. — Inderjit Singh Bedi, president, Lehragaga Arhtiya Association

Earlier, paddy procurement used to start in Punjab from October 1. Some farmers from Bhutal Kalan village have unloaded their paddy in the local grain market while arhtiyas and private purchasers have refused to purchase the paddy as the official purchase will start after October 11. This has created problems for farmers, who will have to sit in the grain market till the start of the purchase as they are unwilling to take their crop back to their houses.

“The government should not have deferred the purchase till October 11 as in many areas, the crop is ready. If in some areas recent rain has increased the moisture content, the authorities should have asked the farmers to bring their produce only with permissible limit of moisture,” said Rajpal Singh Mangwal, BKU Ugrahan leader.

Another farmer Surjan Singh said there was no need to delay the purchase of paddy as the Punjab Government had already fixed the limit of moisture and the recent rain should not have been used as an excuse to defer the purchase.

“Some farmers have brought their paddy to our market. Since the purchase will start after October 11, we are trying to arrange private purchasers so that farmers could sell their crop,” said Inderjit Singh Bedi, president of the Lehragaga Arhtiya Association. Lehra SDM Navreet Sekhon was unavailable for a comment.