AAP MP seeks PM action on slow paddy procurement in Punjab
The AAP MP in his letter to Narendra Modi stated that rice millers had categorically refused to collect paddy for want of storage space because of non-lifting by the Food Corporation of India
Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajya Sabha member Vikramjit Singh Sahney on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking immediate intervention on the pressing issue of slow paddy procurement in Punjab, which has become a major concern for farmers.
Sahney in his letter to Narendra Modi stated that rice millers had categorically refused to collect paddy for want of storage space because of non-lifting by the Food Corporation of India (FCI).
“After the government’s intervention, 3,000 out of the total 5,000 rice millers have come up to procure the paddy but lack of storage space remains a key issue,” he wrote.
The Rajya Sabha member said that Punjab has been the largest contributor of paddy to the central pool for decades, ensuring the nation’s food security.
“The farmers in the state have produced 180 lakh metric tonnes of paddy this year, yet unfortunately, 120 lakh metric tonnes from last year was still stored in warehouses,” Sahney said, adding that this backlog was largely due to the government’s ban on the export of non-basmati rice, which resulted in accumulation of paddy.
“Additionally, the government did not procure a significant amount of rice last year for the Public Distribution System (PDS), further contributing to the surplus in warehouses,” the letter read, pointing out that only 10 lakh tonnes of rice have been lifted so far.
Sahney also wrote that though the official procurement process began on October 1, the ongoing challenges have left the farmers in a dire situation.
“It has been 24 days since the procurement started, yet farmers are still facing severe difficulties in selling their paddy. In all this, poor farmers are becoming the collateral damage and suffering the most,” he added.
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