Independent MLA and liquor baron Rana Inder Partap Singh announced in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday that he would procure every grain of monsoon maize if farmers cultivate it as an alternative to water-intensive paddy. Singh intends to use the maize for ethanol production. To underscore his commitment, Singh declared that he and his father would abstain from contesting the next Assembly elections if they fail to procure even a single grain of maize. He pledged to purchase the monsoon maize at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) set by the Centre. Rana Inder Partap represents the Sultanpur Lodhi Assembly segment, while his father, Rana Gurjit Singh, is a former minister and current Congress MLA from Kapurthala. Rana’s proposal comes as the state grapples with a declining water table attributed to extensive paddy cultivation. Despite efforts, the area under paddy cultivation has not decreased. Farmers who contract with Rana to supply maize can benefit from a ₹7,500 per acre incentive offered by the Centre as part of its diversification plan, in addition to earnings from selling maize to Rana. Last year, the Centre released ₹290 crore under the diversification plan, but the grant lapsed due to delays in the state’s announcement. “Grow as much maize as you want—even on one lakh, two lakh, or three lakh hectares. I will lift every grain,” Rana Inder assured farmers from the Assembly floor during discussions on a resolution rejecting the draft agriculture marketing policy. Cultivating maize not only conserves groundwater but also reduces electricity consumption. The Punjab government spends ₹10,000 crore annually to provide free power to the agricultural sector. The father-son duo operates several distilleries across the country. The Rana family owns four distilleries: one in Punjab, two in Uttar Pradesh, and one in Haryana, with a combined capacity to produce 1.2 million liters of ethanol daily. “Even if farmers cultivate maize on 300,000 hectares, it may not suffice to meet our requirements. We will still need more,” noted Rana Gurjit. He added that maize prices are expected to rise to ₹2,500 per quintal this year. “If the state government assists farmers in transitioning from paddy to maize—which would save ₹10,000 per acre annually in electricity subsidies—this could be the optimal strategy for diversification,” said Rana Gurjit.
