Chandigarh, July 25, 2020 (Yes Punjab News)
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today asked chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh to make arrangements for procuring maize and pulses on MSP, saying farmers who had sown maize across 2.5 lakh hectares had been let down by the Congress government which failed to come to their aid when it was being sold at distress rates.
Addressing a virtual conference, senior leader and former MP Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra said the government could have ensured full returns to farmers if it had purchased maize for the PDS system.
He said the shortfall in the price of maize would have been given by the centre for which it had already kept Rs 14,000 crore this year. He said States like Haryana and Madhya Pradesh had taken compensation for maize from the centre but the Punjab government seemed ambivalent to the suffering of the farmers.
Prof Chandumajra also demanded a probe into the misuse of the Rs 550 crore subsidy given by the centre to the State to purchase agricultural machinery for farmers. He said instead of giving direct subsidy to the farmers the State had chosen to buy the agricultural machinery from the private companies itself and then pass them on to farmers.
He said the price of agricultural machinery was inflated and the officials and private companies shared the spoils along with their political masters. Giving instances, Prof Chandumajra said Straw Management System which was available for Rs 80,000 was purchased for Rs 1.05 lakh.
He said Happy Seeders which were available for Rs 1.30 lakh were purchased for Rs 1.60 lakh. He said similarly Happy Seeders, choppers, munchers and plows were purchased at Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 above their market price.
The former MP also asked Pradesh Congress President Sunil Jakhar why he was not asking his government in Punjab to reduce State VAT on diesel by Rs 10 per litre to give much needed relief to farmers. H
e said the SAD had already requested the centre to reduce central excise on petroleum products and the State should also reduce State VAT on diesel and petrol immediately.
Prof Chandumajra also demanded the Congress government release money from the Rs 6,000 crore collected in the disaster management fund immediately to help farmers, labourers and skilled workmen by giving them direct relief.
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