Paddy procurement in Patiala mandis hit

PATIALA, Oct 17: Paddy procurement work in several grain markets of this district has been disrupted because of non-availability of gunny...

PATIALA, Oct 17: Paddy procurement work in several grain markets of this district has been disrupted because of non-availability of gunny bags in these purchase centres. The worst-hit have been chappar mandis in the Ghanaur block, where huge stocks have piled up because of the purchase work being badly hit. These mandis have been allotted to Punsup, one of the state procurement agencies.

A similar situation prevails in the Devigarh Grain Market, where a huge stock of paddy has accumulated because of the crisis-like situation created by the shortage of gunny bags. Leaders of the Bharatiya Kisan Union organised a traffic blockade in Devigarh to pressurise the Food Corporation of India to make arrangements for gunny bags.

Deputy Commissioner Jasbir Singh Bir said there was heavy paddy arrivals in mandis in this district since a large number of farmers from adjoining areas of Haryana had been bringing their paddy produce to the mandis in this district because of early and spot payments to farmers. He said in the grain markets there were complaints of gunny bag shortage, but the administration had now normalised the situation.

Jasdev Singh Nogi, a farmer of village Jarikpur, while talking to The Indian Express, said he was going through sleepless nights in order to guard his paddy stock due to shortage of gunny bags.

Similarly, other farmers 8212; Gurmail Singh Gailla, Balwant Singh, Chand Singh, Khazan Singh, Sucha Singh and Bhinda 8212; were also sitting in the mandi for their turn. They said they had brought their produce to sell in the mandi, but they were still waiting for their turn because of the agency involved in procuring had not procured paddy.

Kisan union leaders 8212; Manjit Singh Maadu, Kulwant Singh Runvan, Ranjit Singh Rana Rurki Budhsinghwala and Inderjit Singh Behru 8212; alleged that the agency in convenience with rice-shellers had not procured its share of the produce.

However, the blockade was lifted when Sub Divisional Magistrate Manjit Singh Narang intervened in the matter and assured them that the agency would start procurement immediately.