Wheat procurement began in Punjab on Saturday with arhtiyas (commission agents) calling off their proposed strike after chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh ordered steps to ensure their continued involvement in the process and the immediate release of their pending payments of ₹131 crore without waiting for dues to come from the Food Corporation of India.
On the chief minister’s directives, the state food department amended the procurement software so that the arhtiyas continue to be involved in the process of release of payments to farmers, albeit in a modified manner, while farmers get their payments in their bank accounts within 48 hours, as mandated by the state government.
Captain Amarinder Singh said that despite the Government of India’s directive to exclude them from minimum support price (MSP) payments, “the arhtiyas shall always be associated with procurement. Till I am there, you will part of the system, and your role will always remain.” He said he will ensure that the arhtiya commission and other charges permitted under the APMC Act shall continue.
Fought hard on DBT but Centre adamant: CM
On the Centre’s refusal to accept the state’s request for deferring the direct benefit transfer (DBT) system, the chief minister said, “We fought hard, but the Centre was adamant, and even went to the extent of threatening not to procure from Punjab if we did not implement the DBT.”
{{/usCountry}}On the Centre’s refusal to accept the state’s request for deferring the direct benefit transfer (DBT) system, the chief minister said, “We fought hard, but the Centre was adamant, and even went to the extent of threatening not to procure from Punjab if we did not implement the DBT.”
{{/usCountry}}The chief minister ordered the finance department to release ₹131 crore due to the arhtiyas without waiting for it from the Food Corporation of India (FCI), which had withheld payments after some commission agents failed to upload details. He assured the arhtiyas that his government will take up with the Centre the issue of 30% deduction in labour payments made by the FCI.
He thanked Vijay Kalra, the president of the Federation of Arhtiya Association of Punjab, for heeding to the government’s plea to withdraw the strike and lift the grain as the farmers would otherwise have suffered. He appealed to the arhtiyas to take care of Covid norms. The government had to delay procurement this year till April 10 (from the previously scheduled April 1) on account of the second surge of Covid.
Passes to be issued to reduce congestion at mandis
The chief minister said like last year, farmers will be issued passes this year to reduce congestion at the mandis (grain markets) in view of the pandemic. He assured farmer passes will be issued at the district level in consultation with arhtiyas, who know which farmer has harvested his crop and is ready to come to the mandi. He said arhtiyas are not middlemen but service providers.
Announcing the withdrawal of the strike in the interest of the state and farmers, Kalra thanked the chief minister and said the Centre is penalising Punjab for the farmers’ agitation. State food, civil supplies and consumer affairs minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu told the chief minister the arhtiyas simply wanted protection for their business and livelihood.