'No storage space for 185L MT paddy': Congress warns against agrarian crisis in Punjab

New Delhi: Congress today warned against an impending agrarian crisis in Punjab due to the non-availability of storage space for about 185 lakh metric tons of paddy which is likely to arrive in the market by the end of the current procurement season.

The party alleged that it was a well-thought-out conspiracy by the Bharatiya Janata Party in association with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to destroy the state's economy.

Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here today, the Punjab Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Partap Singh Bajwa warned that the agrarian crisis can spiral out of control and may lead to serious law and order crisis.

He disclosed that Punjab was expecting about 185 lakh metric tons of paddy to arrive in the ‘mandis’ (markets). But, he added, there was no space available in the godowns across the state, as the previous stocks had not been cleared.

Referring to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s statement after meeting the Union Food and Civil Supplies Minister Pralhad Joshi that he had assured that all the old godowns would be cleared by March 31, Bajwa said it was impossible to clear the entire space within the next four months.

He blamed both Mann and the central government for not taking timely measures to clear the godown space in the state so that the new produce could be stored there.

Bajwa alleged that it was a well-thought conspiracy by the BJP and Mann to destroy Punjab’s economy. He also alleged that this was being done to force farmers to go for distress sale and help Adani buy the produce at cheap prices as he has massive storage capacity with silos in Moga, Raikot, and Kathunangal in Punjab.

Bajwa took a dig at Mann for taking Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu, whom he described as a “neo-convert” (to BJP), along for meeting Union Minister Joshi. He said, it was already public knowledge in Punjab that Bittu was earlier his “go-between” with the Union home ministry, now he has extended it to the Union food ministry also.

The senior Congress leader also referred to the PR-126 and similar varieties of paddy that the Punjab farmers sowed at the instance of CM Mann. He said, that now it has been revealed that this variety yields about 5 kgs less rice per quintal after milling, as compared to the traditional varieties. He said this would cause massive losses to the rice millers to the tune of Rs 6,000 crores. He said, the millers are refusing to mill the paddy till they are not compensated, as their loss will be humongous. He asked, who will compensate the millers?

He also referred to the issue of commission of the ‘arthiyas’ (the commission agents), which needs to be sorted out. He said, the ‘arthiyas’ were also protesting and refusing to purchase the produce in the ‘mandis’.

Asserting that the party did not expect anything from the Punjab Chief Minister saying he was incapable and incompetent, the Punjab CLP leader sought immediate central intervention to diffuse the crisis which has the potential to boomerang into a major problem as has happened in the past.

Accusing Bhagwant Mann of playing a double game, Bajwa remarked, “he is running with the hare and hunting with the hounds” while claiming that while on the one hand, he was with Kejriwal, on the other hand, he was in regular touch with the BJP for a long time.

He said he has always been saying that Mann will be the “Eknath Shinde” of Punjab, suggesting that he might align with the BJP after ditching AAP, the way Shinde did after ditching Shiv Sena.

Bajwa said, otherwise also, Mann’s wings had been completely clipped as all his advisors and OSDs had been removed. He said his plight was like that of the last Mughal ruler Bahadur Shah Zafar, confined to a “Rangoon Fort”.