Faridkot
When the blame game for the paddy procurement is on stating the higher moisture content and shortage of space are responsible for it, Jagjeet Singh Dallewal, state president of Bhartiya Kisan Union alleged that paddy between moisture content 12.4 and 14.4 was lying in the grain market Sher Singh of Sadak market committee on Monday and there was little progress in the procurement even after the BKU was assured of procurement of dry paddy.
“There is no progress in the purchase of the paddy. Even dry paddy is being neglected in the grain markets of the district. Whenever we protest in any mandi, we are assured procurement of the dry produce, but after we leave, the situation remains the same,’ said Bohar Singh Rupian Wala, district President of BKU Sidhupur-Ekta.
On Monday, Jagjeet Singh Dallewal posted a video on social media from Sher Singh Wala village yard claiming that the dry paddy between 12 and 15 moisture content was lying neglected there.
He had questioned the DC Faridkot along with others that if the moisture content in paddy falls to 12 instead of expected 17, farmer is at loss of 5 kg of paddy,incurring a loss of Rs 116 per quintal.
He further alleged that the rice millers were demanding a cut on the pretext of moisture from the farmers and appealed to the farmers to not allow such cuts or deductions.
“Despite our open meeting with the concerned officials, the situation is not improving. Now the DFSC has assured me that all the dry paddy would be procured by Tuesday and we shall see what happens,” Dallewal had said on a social media post.
But Bohar Singh claimed that there is not considerable improvement in the situation.
Raising the issue of cuts, Dallewal also lashed out at some other farmers’ unions.
“Some Kisan unions blocked roads with the help of the farmers. But whose issue were those?The rice millers demanded that they should be granted relaxation of about 5 kg per quintal and commision agents demanded that their Daami or commission be restored. They sat among the farmers and blockades were affected by the farmers,” alleged Dallewal.
He said that this way the farmers were getting defamed for others.
He hinted that farmers were manipulated for the issues of the commission agents and rice millers, who are now allegedly demanding cuts on paddy procurement.
Protest against the district mandi officers from November 4
Bohar Singh Rupian Wala, Faridkot president of the Kisan union Sidhupur Ekta said that they were going to intensify our agitation.
“We have chalked out the programme of protest at the office of the district mandi officer Faridkot from November 4,” said Bohar Singh.
The paddy produce has been reduced to such an unwanted commodity by the policies of the state and union that even farmers are ready for cuts to sell the produce at distress level.
Ahartias are not openly coming out this way because of the strict instructions of the government.
The rice millers are allegedly reluctant to wait and watch the situation to get paddy at cuts and distress sale level.
DC Faridkot,Vineet Kumar did not respond to the call on his mobile phone in this regard.
However, in a press release the DC Faridkot has said that Rs 454 crore of payment has been made to the farmers and most of the produce unloaded in the markets has been procured with 54 per cent lifting of that produce.