Bathinda: Wheat bags exposed to rain, farmers upset

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 29

Intermittent rain exposed “ill-preparedness” of the district administration as farmers had to arrange tarpaulin sheets themselves to cover their wheat crop at grain markets.

Lack of sheds at purchase centres in rural areas exposed heaps of wheat to vagaries of nature. As wheat crop in mandis was lying in open, procurement agencies and arhtiyas were seen struggling to provide tarpaulin sheets to farmers to cover their produce. Even procured grain lying in the open got wet.

Uncertain weather conditions coupled with tardy lifting have made things worse.

Farmers said the mandi board and the district administration failed to make arrangements to protect their crop. If not sheds, the administration should had arranged tarpaulin sheets to cover the produce, they said.

Jasveer Singh of the BKU (U), said, “At purchase centres in rural areas, there’s no provision of tarpaulin sheets. Even procured wheat bags are lying in the open.”

Gora Singh, of Bhaini Bagha village in Mansa district, said, “It is the responsibility of the authorities to make arrangements at grain markets. Over the years, things have remained the same.”

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