MP Singla urges CM to streamline paddy procurement

Taking note of the 'harassment' being faced by farmers in selling off their produce, member of Parliament from Sangrur Vijay Inder Singla has written to chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, urging him to take steps to streamline the paddy procurement.

Taking note of the 'harassment' being faced by farmers in selling off their produce, member of Parliament from Sangrur Vijay Inder Singla has written to chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, urging him to take steps to streamline the paddy procurement.

HT Image

Singla visited grain markets in Sangrur and Barnala districts and heard grievances of farmers and commission agents.

In his letter, Singla pointed out the flaws in the ongoing procurement and said that all the stakeholders, including farmers, traders and sheller owners, were feeling the heat. "Officials of purchasing agencies were exploiting farmers and commission agents, and making excuses in order to not to purchase their yield," Singla said.

He said that in the wake of harassment at the hands of purchasing agencies, farmers were forced to sell their produce in Haryana. "It is strange that farmers could sell their produce in Haryana, which the procurement agencies in Punjab had refused to procure citing high moisture content," he said.

Singla also sought removal of moisture meters installed at the gates of grain markets and urged the government to provide open demarcated areas to farmers for drying up their crop. He said that he would also approach the Centre with a request to increase limit of moisture content from 17%.