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Paddy procurement row: PM Modi assures CM Channi of early resolution
In an official statement following the meeting, Channi said that the Prime Minister told him that he would soon get this issue addressed in consultation with the Union ministry of food on the "top priority".
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday assured Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi of an early resolution to the paddy procurement after a row broke over the same following the Centre's announcement of postponing it till October 10. This comes as the Punjab chief minister held a courtesy meeting with the Prime Minister earlier today.
In an official statement following the meeting, Channi said that the Prime Minister told him that he would soon get this issue addressed in consultation with the Union ministry of food on the "top priority".
Channi also said that the maiden visit to the national capital was "quite positive as it was held in a congenial atmosphere."
The Centre on Thursday postponed the procurement of paddy in Punjab and Haryana till October 11 as the crop maturity is delayed owing to recent heavy rains. The announcement immediately sparked unrest among farmers in the two agrarian states and prompted CM Channi to ask PM Modi to intervene in the matter.
Paddy procurement for 2021-22 Kharif marketing season in Punjab was to commence from October 1, while in Haryana it officially started from September 25.
The Centre has fixed a minimum support price (MSP) of ₹1,960 per quintal for grade ‘A’ paddy, while ₹1,940 per quintal for common grade paddy for 2021-22 Kharif marketing season.
Punjab is a major contributor to the central pool as over 100 lakh tonnes of rice is procured from this state. From Haryana, less than 45 lakh tonnes of rice is purchased during a Kharif marketing season.
Meanwhile, at the meeting, CM Channi also discussed the issue of farmers' protest with PM Modi and asked him to resume talks with the protesters. He asked PM Modi to open the Kartarpur Corridor at the earliest. The visa-free border crossing that connects the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan to the border with India is shut due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
