Punjab, Haryana join hands against centre on paddy procurement
Aasha Kho

New delhi. Oct 14: The Punjab today found an ally in Haryana in its incessant efforts to end a protracted stand-off between the paddy growers of the state and the Centre over procurement of the harvested crop.

The governments of both the neighbouring states are taking a common stand on the revised price of the paddy, recently fixed by Centre as a way out of the imbroglio in Punjab. Punjab has rejected the recent formula of paying Rs. 25 less than the minimum support price announced by the government earlier this year.

The official delegations, which are in the capital to persue the paddy procurement in their respective states, held late night discussions to draw a common strategy against the centre. The Punjab delegation was led by chief minister Prakash Singh Badal and his ministers - Gurdev Singh Badal (agriculture) and M M Mittal (Food and Supplies) while Haryana was led by revenue and housing minister Dhir Paul Singh.

Badal is expected to meet union finance minister Yashwant Sinha tomorrow. Sources said the meeting is crucial as the finance minister is expected to spell his stand on wether the Centre would bear the financial burden of procuring the `not-so-good' paddy from Punjab mandis by the Food Corporation of India.

Just before prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had left for Bombay for his keen surgery Badal had meet him and discussed the political and social implications of the unrest among the state's farmers due to non-procurement of the paddy. Thereafter he had also meet Yashwant Sinha and requested him to work out financial support for the procuring agencies, in case they pick up the not-so-good paddy.

Sources said Badal would meet Yashwant Sinha along Shanta Kumar, union minister for consumer affairs and foor processing. Kumar has reportedly agreed to relax the norms like moisture content, brokerage and dicloration earlier fixed by the government for the paddy procurement.

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