Chandigarh, Oct 25 (PTI) BJP leader Amarinder Singh on Friday lashed out at Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the "tardy" paddy procurement in the state, alleging the latter "turned his back on the farmers" facing hardships in the mandis.
Visiting the grain market in Khanna where farmers are complaining of slow paddy purchase, the former Punjab chief minister hit out at the Mann-led AAP government, saying the grain markets are bursting at the seams as paddy has not been lifted from the mandis.
Claiming that the farmers never faced any problem in crop procurement when he was the chief minister, Singh, who was accompanied by BJP leader Fateh Jung Bajwa, said, "We always lifted paddy and wheat and never faced any problem. So why are they (AAP government) facing problems? I was a Congress chief minister when BJP was in power at the Centre."
Replying to a query on lesser yield of the PR-126 variant sown in Punjab, Singh asked who told the farmers to sow this particular variety.
"It was the chief minister. But where is he now? He should have come here. When farmers are facing problems, he has turned his back on them," Singh said.
"Farmers had sown this variety (PR-126) at his (Mann) behest. Has he visited any mandi anywhere in Punjab yet," Singh asked.
The veteran politician also said that before suggesting any variety, it is important to get it tested twice or thrice.
"It is his (Mann) duty to go to Delhi. If there is any problem with the Food Corporation of India, he should meet the agriculture minister, the prime minister and the home minister. Is it my duty or his," Singh asked.
On AAP blaming the Union government for the farmers' plight, Singh said, "Why should the Centre want to do any such thing? It wants the crop to be lifted. It is the responsibility of the state government to ensure smooth purchase of paddy."
Later, Singh said in a post on X, "Visited Khanna Dana Mandi today and met with our hard-working farmers, arhtiyas and labourers. Unfortunately they are facing hurdles due a tardy job of procurement planning by @AAPPunjab govt.
"I have assured the farmers and arthiyas that I will urge the Central government to intervene to ensure smoother procurement."
The lifting of paddy from the mandis in Punjab has been hit after the state rice millers refused to mill the crop till their demands were met.
The rice millers have also expressed concern over the out-turn ratio (post milling yield) of the PR-126 variety, claiming that it will cause them huge losses.
They said the out-turn ratio of this variety is less than 67 per cent, which has been fixed by the Centre.
The rice millers are demanding to be allowed to give 64 kg of rice out of one quintal of paddy because of lesser yield of the PR-126 variety.
They have also complained of space crunch for storing fresh paddy and want the Centre to liquidate the existing wheat and paddy stock to create sufficient space.
The arthiyas (commission agents), meanwhile, are also demanding a raise in their commission.