Chandigarh, October 19:Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said on Saturday that the Punjab government has a plan B ready to mill paddy across the state in the public interest.
During a meeting with the delegation of United Kisan Morcha at Punjab Bhavan here, the Chief Minister said that farmers, farmers and mill owners are the important link of grain production in the state and this link should not be broken. He said that the state government is committed to protect the interests of every stakeholder in this chain. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that blackmailing of any shareholder will not be allowed and if necessary, the state government will not refrain from milling paddy outside the state.
The Chief Minister said that the state government has a plan B ready for milling paddy to protect the interests of common grain producers. He said that the state government will not back down from taking this decision keeping in mind the wider interests of the farmers. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the opposition forces of the state are trying to take credit for the purchase of paddy by harassing the farmers and make it a political issue.
The Chief Minister said that the state government is committed to smooth and uninterrupted procurement of paddy and it is our responsibility to make every possible effort to ensure the correct implementation of this decision. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that he himself is monitoring the uninterrupted purchase and payment of paddy and all possible efforts will be made for this task. He said that arrangements are being made by the state government to purchase the farmers’ crops as soon as they reach the markets.
The Chief Minister made it clear that adulteration of paddy in markets will not be allowed and strict action will be taken against the officials responsible for it. He said that 185 lakh metric tons of paddy is expected to arrive in the mandis this year, for which 2651 mandis have been established across the state. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that about 18.31 lakh metric tons of paddy has arrived in the markets, out of which 16.37 lakh metric tons have been purchased and three thousand crores of rupees have been paid to the farmers.
The Chief Minister said that due to the delay in the loading of paddy last year, the problem of storage is arising at present. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that he raised the issue with the Union Minister, following which an assurance was given that 120 lakh metric tonnes of paddy would be exported from the state by March 2025. He said that the state government is committed to the purchase and payment of each grain. He clarified that no farmer will celebrate the Diwali festival in the markets.
The Chief Minister said that he had already raised the issues of the mill owners and landlords before the Government of India and the Central Government had accepted most of the demands. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that he had also told the Union Minister that Punjab and Haryana came under the Union Procurement Zone and it should be maintained. He further said that the Bardane issue has already been resolved as the matter was raised by the Punjab government before the central government.
The Chief Minister said that RBI 41,378 crore has already been released as cash credit limit for Kharif marketing season 2024-25 by He further said that the experts of Punjab Agricultural University have repeatedly emphasized that compared to the rice variety (Pusa 44) which takes longer to ripen, PR. 126 saves about 20-25 percent water. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this reduces stubble (10 per cent), which gives 25-40 days extra time for residue management and saves about five thousand rupees per acre in cost, which greatly benefits the farmers. .
The Chief Minister said that the state government has already increased the labor charges in the state and if necessary, the state government will examine the possibility of increasing the charges further. He said that the state government has decided not to award the contract for lifting the leftover material from the mandis of Punjab from the year 2023-24. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this decision has been taken to raise the standard of living of poor communities/people and it is being implemented properly.
The Chief Minister said that the state government D.A.P. The issue of uninterrupted supply of fertilizers is strongly raised before the central government. He said that smooth handling of the upcoming wheat sowing season is the prime need of the hour. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the state government is fully protecting the interests of the farmers of the state
There is determination.
Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and Lal Chand Kataruchak were also present on this occasion.
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