Delhi, March 15, 2021 (Yes Punjab News)
Congress Rajya Sabha Member from Punjab, Partap Singh Bajwa today raised the issue of the Government of India’s step-motherly treatment to the State of Punjab, in Rajya Sabha during the Zero Hour.
The MP highlighted how rather than helping the State of Punjab recover from the COVID-19 economic slowdown, the Government of India has taken steps to harm the State, such as cutting the Rural Development Fund from 3% to 1%, which will cause a loss of over Rs. 1,000 Cr to the exchequer of Punjab.
Moreover, at the height of the pandemic, the Government of India had arrears over Rs. 8,200 Cr to the State Government, due to slow release of GST dues.
Bajwa further highlighted how on the 11th of March the Food Corporation of India had proposed tighter quality controls for the procurement of wheat and paddy. The MP pointed out during his speech that this move comes barely 15 days before the harvesting of wheat begins in Punjab.
Furthermore, the new requirements such as 12% moisture content and reduction of foreign matter in the produce are weather-related, and by penalizing the farmers for this, the Government of India is essentially arguing that global warming is in the hands of the farmers.
The MP stated that the Government of India is trying to punish the farmers for their protests by making it practically impossible for them to sell their products at MSP, and thereby allowing the Central Government to run away from procurement.
Other changes such as requiring farmers to submit land ownership records to receive MSP for wheat is a further sign of the Union Government’s intent to stop procurement of grains. Nearly 45% of land holdings in Punjab are leased out, and such a move along with direct bank transfers to the landowner will greatly affect the cultivator.
The MP later stated that the move to enforce direct bank transfers to landowners would make it practically impossible for cultivators to receive their share of the MSP on time and thereby affect the agricultural cycle in the State of Punjab.
Through the efforts of the Government of India to push these banker friendly moves at the cost of the farmers, would only force the farmers of Punjab away from farming and would irrevocably damage the economy of the State.
