Centre concedes to Punjab on paddy procurement, Haryana too grumbles

Centre concedes to Punjab on paddy procurement, Haryana too grumbles
Aasha Khosa

New Delhi. Oct 15: The paddy procurement crisis in Punjab is likely to be over with the Centre today agreeing to bear Rs. 300 crore deficit to be incurred by the procuring agencies for lifting the entire stocks of harvested paddy from the state.

The package agreed to here in a meeting between Punjab government and union finance minister Yashwant Singh promises full price to the agitated paddy growers of Punjab. Besides those farmers who had earlier sold their produce at the distress prices would also be compensated.

The package marks a victory for Punjab chief minister Prakash Singh Badal, whose patience and perseverence on the crisis arising out of the non-procurement of paddy by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and the resultant unrest among farmers ultimately paid off. ``It's a historical package. Never before in the history of country such a package has been announced for farmers'', remarked M M Mittal, Punjab's minister for Food and supplies told the Indian Express .

Badal and his ministerial team comprising Madan Mohan Mittal, Balram dass Tandon, labour and unemployment minister, Gurdev Singh Badal, agriculture minister Ranjit Singh Brahamputra, cooperation minister, Tota Singh education minister - held the decisive meeting with Yashwant Sinha for about 50 minutes. Union minister for consumer affairs and food processing Shanta Kumar and union minister for Sport S S Dhindsa were also present in the meeting.

Punjab government spokesman claimed according to the package the centre would pay about Rs. 250 crore to the procuring agencies in lieu of the loses to be incurred by lifting the entire stock from the state at the minimum support price announced earlier. All the farmers who have sold their produce in panick at lower rates would be awarded compensation. The Punjab government and the centre would share the Rs. 100 crore package for such farmers.

Punjab farmers had taken to protests like disruption of rail and road traffic and dharnas and the growing unrest was causing concern to Punjab's ruling party which is facing elections next year. Badal had perssuasively canvassed for the farmers cause with central leaders including prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee but refrained from threatening the government of withdrawl of support.

The mood in the Punjab Bhawan was upbeat today with the Punjab government claiming the package would give a benefit of Rs. 350 crores out of the package.

Even when Punjab government seems to be rejoicing over the deal, it is Haryana's turn to grumble.

Dhir Pal Singh, Harayana minister for revenue and housing, today told the Indian Express the state had also suffered loses due to paddy procurement crisis in Punjab. ``We are just watching what Punjab gets from the centre. After this we would decide how to present our case before the centre'', Singh told the Indian Express that state had also faced a mini-crisis on account of centre's revised norms for quality of the paddy to be procured and needed compensation . Singh who had held discussions with Punjab government on the paddy crisis later left for Chandigarh to confer with chief minister Om prakash Chautala.