Chandigarh, Sep 21 (IANS) Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Partap Singh Bajwa on Monday launched a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government and the BJP-led Union government over their failure to clear wheat stocks occupying crucial storage space in rice mills and mandi yards ahead of the paddy procurement season.
With the official procurement season set to begin on October 1, and early varieties already arriving in several mandis, Bajwa warned that the continued occupation of storage space by wheat stocks could trigger serious congestion across Punjab’s procurement system.
Citing recent reports, Bajwa said nearly 12 lakh metric tons (MT) of wheat is still lying in rice mills across Punjab, while another 1.83 lakh MT of Central Pool wheat remains in mandi yards awaiting movement to the Food Corporation of India (FCI). “These figures expose the complete lack of preparedness of both the Punjab government and the Union government. Paddy procurement is just days away, yet vital storage space remains occupied by wheat stocks that should have been cleared and moved months ago,” he said.
He cautioned that the situation could become particularly difficult once paddy arrivals gather momentum, as mills and mandis will simultaneously have to handle the incoming crop while dealing with wheat stocks yet to be moved. “If this bottleneck is not cleared immediately, farmers could be forced to wait for hours or even days to unload their paddy. Those who lack adequate storage at their farms will be especially vulnerable to distress sales. Prolonged delays can also create additional problems related to moisture and grain quality,” Bajwa said.
He questioned why the Punjab government and the Centre had failed to anticipate an entirely foreseeable problem.
“This is not an unexpected crisis. Everyone knew that the paddy procurement season was approaching. The Punjab government and the Centre had months to plan the evacuation of wheat, arrange transportation and ensure adequate storage capacity. Yet, they failed to act until the crisis was staring them in the face,” he remarked.
Accusing the AAP government of prioritising publicity over preparedness, Bajwa said, “Instead of ensuring that the foodgrain management system was ready for the next procurement season, the AAP government remained focused on publicity exercises and political theatrics. Now, Punjab’s farmers are being left to bear the consequences of administrative failure.”
Bajwa demanded that the Punjab government and the Centre immediately coordinate the evacuation of wheat stocks from rice mills and mandi yards, accelerate their movement to designated storage locations and ensure sufficient space is available before paddy arrivals intensify.
“Punjab’s farmers should not be made to pay the price for the failure of two governments. The AAP government and the BJP-led Centre must stop passing the responsibility to each other and immediately clear the bottleneck. Farmers must have assured and hassle-free procurement when their crop reaches the mandis,” he added.
–IANS
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