Close X
Monday, November 11, 2024
ADVT 
India

Paddy growers face hardships owing to strike by rice millers: Punjab Congress chief

Darpan News Desk IANS, 18 Oct, 2023 01:11 PM
  • Paddy growers face hardships owing to strike by rice millers: Punjab Congress chief

Chandigarh, Oct 18 (IANS) Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) Chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Wednesday took tour in Patiala district to get first-hand information about the problems faced by paddy growers in the wake of the strike by rice millers across the state.

The farmers lamented about the deterioration of the harvested paddy crop due to the strike.

“The farmers of Punjab have already endured substantial hardships, including the recent floods that afflicted the region. After three-long months, they continue to grapple with adversities,” said Warring.

Assessing the situation at a marketing yard, he said, “Contrary to the claims made by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government that paddy procurement is on track, the ground reality is starkly different. The purported progress on paper doesn’t align with the stark reality of paddy crops decaying in mandis.”

The strike by rice millers, protesting against Food Corporation of India (FCI) guidelines, has resulted in approximately 66 per cent of paddy stocks remaining uncollected across the state.

As of October 15, a mere 7.83 lakh tonnes of paddy have been lifted. With the ongoing harvest across the state, a peak in production is expected within a week, further exacerbating the space shortage in mandis for paddy storage.

Addressing the media, Warring said the prevailing situation has left everyone, from the farmers awaiting procurement to the middlemen anticipating the cessation of the strike, in a state of distress.

“The entire state is trapped in this vicious cycle, with the government seemingly focused on unrelated issues. This process typically takes just a month. With the festive season coming up, this predicament will result in the incapacity to celebrate significant festivals like Diwali, given our state’s strong dependence on agriculture for its economy.”

He proposed to the government that until the strike “concludes, why doesn't the government take the initiative to procure the produce and store it in government warehouses? Once the protests subside, the government can then allocate the produce to the rice millers, facilitating the completion of the harvesting process.”

MORE India ARTICLES

Omicron sub-lineage continues to be predominant variant, 349 samples of XBB1.16 detected

Omicron sub-lineage continues to be predominant variant, 349 samples of XBB1.16 detected
XBB 1.16 was first found in January. However, while only two samples were found then, the number rose to 138 in February, and in March till date total 204 samples of this variant have been found through genome sequencing. The highest number of cases of this variant have been found in Maharashtra at 105, followed by Telangana 93, Karnataka 57 and Gujarat 54 as per the data.

Omicron sub-lineage continues to be predominant variant, 349 samples of XBB1.16 detected

My religion is truth: Rahul quotes Mahatma Gandhi on being convicted in defamation case

My religion is truth: Rahul quotes Mahatma Gandhi on being convicted in defamation case
Surat district court in Gujarat on Thursday convicted Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in a criminal defamation case against him over his alleged 'Modi surname' remark in 2019.Gandhi was convicted under Indian Penal Code sections 499 and 500. The maximum possible punishment under this section is two years.

My religion is truth: Rahul quotes Mahatma Gandhi on being convicted in defamation case

G20 Presidency: India will be hosting around 200 meetings in over 50 cities

G20 Presidency: India will be hosting around 200 meetings in over 50 cities
These meetings are being held in over 30 different work-streams comprising Sherpa Track Working Groups, Finance Track work streams, Ministerial meetings and Engagement Groups. The dates and venues of G20 official meetings are periodically updated on the G20 website, Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

G20 Presidency: India will be hosting around 200 meetings in over 50 cities

Expect Centre to play proactive role to bridge gap, says SC on Punjab-Haryana dispute on SYL canal

Expect Centre to play proactive role to bridge gap, says SC on Punjab-Haryana dispute on SYL canal
Attorney General R. Venkataramani submitted that the matter appears to be not really moving further despite the best endeavour of the Centre. Haryana government counsel disputed the position about possibilities of any settlement unless Punjab moves from its stated position.

Expect Centre to play proactive role to bridge gap, says SC on Punjab-Haryana dispute on SYL canal

Punjab: Police officer gets Shaheed-E-Azam Bhagat Singh award

Punjab: Police officer gets Shaheed-E-Azam Bhagat Singh award
Gurjot Singh Kaler, working as a senior police officer in Punjab as AIG (Excise and Taxation), was awarded with the Shaheed-E-Azam Bhagat Singh State Youth Award at the Hussainiwala Border in Ferozepur district on the anniversary of Bhagat Singh that falls on Thursday.

Punjab: Police officer gets Shaheed-E-Azam Bhagat Singh award

Delhi Police bust tiger skin smuggling gang; 5 held

Delhi Police bust tiger skin smuggling gang; 5 held
With the arrest of five men, the Crime Branch of Delhi Police has busted a racket that indulged in smuggling and selling skin of Royal Bengal Tigers, an official said on Wednesday. The accused have been identified as Amir Khan, Deepak Kumar, Mohit, Shivam Sisodia, and Rahul Rawat, all residents of NCR.

Delhi Police bust tiger skin smuggling gang; 5 held