Accuses BJP led Union Government for Punishing Punjab’s Farmers
Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh, October 28-
Punjab Cabinet Ministers Harpal Singh Cheema, Harjot Singh Bains, and Hardeep Singh Mundian submitted a memorandum to Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Monday, requesting his intervention with the Central Government to expedite the lifting of rice from Punjab.
Later, interacting with media, the Cheema said that they had informed the Governor about the Union Government’s delay in lifting rice from shellers, which is causing issues in lifting paddy from the grain markets. The memorandum also highlighted the problem of low rice yield from paddy, urging the Governor to seek an immediate solution from the Union Government, he added.
Cheema pointed out that the BJP leaders’ claim about a CCL limit of Rs 40,000 crore shows a lack of understanding of the ground reality, as the CCL limit is established every year during the paddy-wheat season. He said that the gap in the CCL limit sometimes ranges from Rs 600 crore to Rs 1,000 crore, a loss borne by the Punjab government, aartis, or transporters. This year, the estimated loss is around Rs 800 crore.