Faridkot
The Ahartia association Kotkapura of Faridkot has filed a petition through its president to become a party in the already filed PIL by Advocate Supreet Singh about procurement of paddy in Punjab.
About 150 commission agents have authorised Ashok Kumar Goel to file the petition on the behalf of the association so that the ground reality could be submitted in the honourable court.
Ashok Goel, president of the association has submitted that only a little more than one tenth of the 8.7 lakh ton(about 10.55 percent) has been lifted so far, while last procurement season, about 50 per cent of the paddy had been moved out of the grain markets by this time.
“The main reason behind the whole problem is the procurement of the paddy, which is too slow. The millers say that there is no space for storage due to the last year’s stock still lying in the godowns of FCI.Only 7 lakh ton ton of the 124 lakh ton milled rice has been moved out,” said Goel in his petition.
Apart from it, the ahartias have also raised the issue of the PR 126 variety.
The variety was developed by PAU in 2016 and has been gaining popularity over the years.
“As Punjab is running into a water crisis, PR 126 has been a very good solution to save sub soil water. It takes one month less for maturity and even few chemicals are sprayed on it. Last year,8.59 lakh hectare of the total 32 lakh hectare area under paddy was under it while it is expected to increase this season,” it has been prayed in the petition.
But this season, millers are refusing to accept it because of its alleged below that permitted out turn ratio, which has been fixed at 67 per cent.
The ahartias claim that they are in a very difficult situation and they also represent the farmers as thousands of the farmers, even in the main and other grain markets of the Kotkpaura unload crops at their shops.
The matter is fixed to come up today.
Ashok Goel has filed a petition to be a party as respondent no 4.
“I am very well versed with the ground reality and facts as we have been in this business for decades. So I have approached the Punjab and Haryana high court so that I can also make our submissions in detail,” said Goel.