Akali Dal slams Punjab government for closing grain markets amidst paddy procurement

Chandigarh: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Badal on Wednesday condemned the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for closing down 1,559 grain markets in Punjab despite the fact that paddy was still arriving in mandis and demanded that paddy procurement operations should be continued across the state till November 20.

"This government has discriminated against farmers from day one by refusing to pay compensation for crop losses and is now closing down mandis arbitrarily leaving farmers in the lurch," the SAD chief said in a statement here.

Badal said it was shocking that despite the fact that 2.91 lakh metric tonnes of paddy had arrived in mandis till Tuesday, which was 18 per cent more than the corresponding period last year, the AAP government was closing down procurement centres.

He said a large amount of produce was yet to reach the mandis due to delayed harvest due to rains.

"Farmers who went in for re-transplantation of paddy after their crop was destroyed due to floods in July are also yet to bring their produce to the market. The government should close down the procurement centres only after the entire produce has been procured," he asserted.

Badal also demanded a CBI inquiry into the sudden influx of 4.7 lakh metric tonnes of paddy into the state on Diwali day.

"Farmers know that procurement comes to a standstill on Diwali because the procurement staff and arhatiyas are not present in Mandis on this day," he said, adding that despite this 4.7 lakh metric tonnes of produce were procured on Diwali.

"It is clear that either paddy has been recycled to book profits or arrivals have been procured from outside the state." He said since this could only be done with political patronage the case should not be probed by the state vigilance and should be handed over to the CBI so that the truth could be laid threadbare.