In a significant development, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today held Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) responsible for the crisis of PR 201 variety of paddy which is finding almost no takers due to it’s bad quality. The CM said that the state government was trying its best to finds ways to compensate the Punjab farmers.

The Chief Minister said this while speaking to mediapersons during his visit to the house of former SAD minister Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, who had recently underwent a surgery in Delhi.

When asked what the state government was doing to compensate the farmers who had grown PR 201 variety of paddy as this variety was not finding many takers due to its bad quality, the CM put the whole onus on the PAU saying that the farmers of the state had sown this variety of paddy on the recommendations of the PAU, which was the highest authority on agriculture in the state. He admitted that due to its bad quality, PR 201 was finding very few buyers. He said that due to its bad quality, this variety had become unfit for human consumption.

The CM said that the state government was highly concerned about the situation and would do every thing to compensate the farmers, who had grown this variety, to their satisfaction.

In reply to another question, Badal rubbished the media reports that he was going abroad for his medical treatment after giving the state’s charge to his son and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal. The CM said that he was fully fit and thus the question of going abroad after handing over the charge to Sukhbir did not arise at all.

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