Closure cloud on illegal cold storage, potato farmers predict ₹20cr loss
Congress MLA from Kapurthala Rana Gurjit Singh has written PPCB chairman Adarsh Pal Vig asking him to reconsider board’s decision as the potato stock will rot if power supply not resumed.
The potato growers in Kapurthala and its surrounding areas are staring at huge financial loss after the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has ordered the closure of a cold storage over irregularities.
Disconnecting the power supply of a cold storage at Machhipal village in Kapurthala district, the PPCB authorities said the unit sans certain approvals and had been operating illegally.
Nearly, 1.25 lakh bags (each weighing 50kg) worth around ₹20 crore are stacked at the facility. The stock at the facility is usually lifted by November end.
The cold storage owners and PPCB were at loggerheads for over a year to submit the documents required but they failed to do so which resulted in disconnection of power supply at the facility.
Congress MLA from Kapurthala Rana Gurjit Singh has written PPCB chairman Adarsh Pal Vig asking him to reconsider board’s decision as the potato stock will rot if power supply not resumed.
Gurjit said: “The farmers were unaware about the ongoing issues between cold storage management and PPCB. Who will be responsible for the farmers loss as the potato stock worth ₹20 crore will be completely destroyed.”
Congress MLA added that he has requested board chairman to intervene immediately and deferr the order till January next year as the farmers will clear the stock by then. “Several potato growers of my constituency whose potatoes are stored in the said cold storage have approached me, showing apprehensions that they are fearing loss of nearly ₹20 crores in case the faculty is closed.”
Jagir Singh, a potato grower from Feroz village of the district, said the concerned authorities must allow the cold storage facility to function normally for this season in the interest of the farmers. “We were unaware about the cold storage being allegedly operating illegally,” he said.
Meanwhile, PPCB chief environmental engineer Krunesh Garg said the action against the cold storage management was initiated as the whole facility sans required approvals from the board and other entities.
“We kept on asking its management to submit the documents to prove its legality for past one year but they kept on making excuses. They even moved Punjab and Haryana High court against the board but their plea was dismissed,” Garg said.
He added that the board will only allow cold storage operations after its operators obtain required approvals and submit same with the board. “We are asking them to submit the documents at the earliest so that the farmers should not face any sort of the financial loss and hassle.”