Paddy glut in Punjab mandis as panchayat elections take toll on procurement, lifting

Most grain markets in the state are witnessing huge piles of paddy with little procurement having taken place in the past few days.

Reason: The state administrative machinery was busy in the panchayat elections. Farmers alleged the state government has failed to make adequate arrangements for the procurement of their produce. Reports of poor paddy procurement and tardy lifting were received from across the region.

Faridkot: Not even a single grain of paddy that reached the Faridkot grain markets in the past two weeks of procurement, which started on October 1, has been lifted, causing a glut-like situation. Four days ago, when some AAP leaders and senior officers were having a tour of the mandi, the District Food and Supply Department had dispatched a paddy-laden truck to a rice mill as a sign of beginning of lifting and movement of the procured paddy.

However, the truck is still parked in the mandi as no rice miller agreed to accept it.

District Food and Supply Controller Vandana Kamboz claimed that the paddy was being lifted, though at slow pace.

Sangrur: At least 98 per cent procured paddy has been lying in the grain markets and purchase centres in Sangrur district. Out of 22,330 MT of paddy, procured by Pungrain, Markfed, PUNSUP and the Warehouse Corporation till October 15, 21,986 MT was lying in the grain markets. The FCI has not purchased a single grain till last evening.

Heaps of paddy were lying in the open and procured paddy in the bags in large numbers can be seen in the grain markets and purchase centres of the district. Barinder Pal Singh Titoo, president, Sangrur Rice Millers Association, said they would not sign agreements with the state for milling paddy till the FCI vacated its godowns for fresh rice bags.

Abohar: After a symbolic purchase of 350 of 800 quintals of paddy last week, the administration got busy in the panchayat poll, resulting in a glut-like situation in the new grain market here.

MLA ‘gheraoed’ in Morinda mandi

Rupnagar: Farmer leaders and millers on Wednesday held a meeting with Chamkaur Sahib MLA Charanjit Singh at the market committee office in Morinda. The MLA was stuck in the office even after seven hours of meeting with a large crowd gathered outside.

(With inputs from Balwant Garg, Gaurav Kanthwal, Sushil Goyal and Raj Sadosh)