Two days after the Center deferred the procurement of paddy in Punjab and Haryana until October 11, the federal government has determined to start out procurement for the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2021-22 from Sunday.
The Centre’s transfer comes amid the continuing farmers’ agitation and recent protests in each the states over the choice to delay procurement. A day earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded early procurement of paddy within the state.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Union Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey mentioned, “From tomorrow, the procurement of paddy in the mandis of Haryana and Punjab will start as per the FAQs (reasonable average quality) norms. Procurement will take place in areas where farmers have harvested early maturing varieties of paddy and where the impact of rainfall is minimal. It will gradually gain momentum in other areas as well.”
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala and State Agriculture Minister JP Dalal met Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ashwini Choubey in New Delhi on Sunday.
After the assembly, Choubey mentioned, “Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and a delegation of ministers got here and met me. He mentioned that their preparations for the procurement of paddy had been already in place and therefore, we determined that the procurement would begin from tomorrow in order that there can be no inconvenience to the farmers.
The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution on Thursday had cited “heavy rainfall” to postpone the procurement of paddy in Punjab and Haryana until October 11.
The procurement and milling interval for the Kharif advertising and marketing season for Punjab was to start from October 1, 2021 and for Haryana from September 25, 2021.
In a press release issued on Thursday, the ministry had mentioned, “It is knowledgeable that because of the current heavy rains within the states of Punjab and Haryana, there was a delay within the maturation of paddy. Keeping in view the pursuits of the farmers and to keep away from any inconvenience to them, the Department of Food and Public Distribution below the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has determined that the procurement of paddy below MSP will likely be achieved within the state with impact from 11 October 2021. will begin within the states. Punjab and Haryana,” the Food Ministry mentioned in a press release.
After this announcement, farmers in each the states protested.
Several protesters had been detained in Haryana on Saturday and police lathi-charged close to Chandimandir toll plaza on the Panchkula-Kalka-Shimla nationwide freeway as farmers in tractors tried to interrupt police barricades.
The farmers additionally hoisted the flag of farmer-unity on the Karnal residence of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and camped outdoors the residence of Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij in Ambala.
In Punjab, tons of of farmers laid siege to the workplaces of Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and residences of a number of ruling celebration MLAs throughout the state. In Jalandhar, they gheraoed the residence of Pargat Singh, the newly appointed cupboard minister of Punjab.
Later, when the choice to start out procurement from Sunday was introduced, Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) leaders mentioned that the farmers have been profitable in getting the Center to hearken to them.
Reacting to the Centre’s transfer to start out procurement on Sunday, Punjab Chief Minister’s Office tweeted, “On the request of Chief Minister @CharanjitChanni, the Center has allowed Punjab to start paddy procurement from October 3. The Chief Minister thanked Prime Minister @NarendraModi for his personal indulgence. To resolve this issue expeditiously.”
After assembly the minister, Khattar mentioned, “Throughout the day he [farmers] Protests had been held at many locations throughout Haryana. We are additionally involved that the procurement of paddy ought to begin on the earliest. Thus, I, Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala, Agriculture Minister JP Dalal and several other different MLAs had come to Delhi to fulfill the Union Ministers. Now that it has been determined that the procurement will begin from tomorrow. [October 3]I hope they withdraw their agitation.
Punjab and Haryana are necessary states for paddy procurement. In the final kharif advertising and marketing season, 135.89 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of rice – or 202 LMT of paddy – was procured from Punjab, whereas the determine for Haryana stood at 37.89 LMT- or 56 LMT of paddy.
– With inputs from ENS, Chandigarh
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
