As the Punjab Agricultural marketing board has failed to complete construction of new grain market, farmers are unloading paddy on the berm of the Nurmahal Phillaur road, in private market and open plots.
“Farmers are left with no option, as the old grain market cannot accommodate the huge quantity of paddy that arrives daily,” said Surinder Kumar Passi, president, Nurmahal Commission Agent Association.
“The association has urged state government to complete the construction at the earliest but to no avail,” said Passi. Market committee officials said that 12,825 quintal paddy arrived in Nurmahal grain market on October 10.
We had taken eight acres, behind Dussehra ground on rent, for unloading paddy, market committee secretary Amarjit Singh said.
These alternative arrangements were made, as higher authorities did not allow unloading paddy in the new grain market, said Singh.
“However, farmers prefer unloading on the berms of Nurmahal- Phillaur road, which passes along the old market on the railway road,” said Singh. Farmers and commission agents have demanded construction work to be resumed immediately.
The government had acquired 18 acres, 3 kanals and 2 marlas of land near the Nurmahal Nakodar road for the grain market.
{{/usCountry}}The government had acquired 18 acres, 3 kanals and 2 marlas of land near the Nurmahal Nakodar road for the grain market.
{{/usCountry}}The Punjab Mandi Board had released Rs 4 crore for construction work which was forcibly stopped by a religious Dera activist in January 2011.
State government had submitted, in the Punjab and Haryana high court in August 2013 that acquiring more land for developing Nurmahal Mandi Township, will be completed by December 15. Along with it, issuing notification under Land Acquisition Act and site selection will be approved on November 15 2013 and construction of the new grain market will be completed by December 2014.