Chandigarh: The arhtiyas (commission agents) have threatened to boycott the kharif crop procurement process starting soon since the Food Corporation of India (FCI) is yet to release around Rs 105 crore due to them for the last wheat season.
Federation of Arhtiyas Associations president Vijay Kalra said on Tuesday that they also paid for the labourers hired in grain markets and that money was held up with the FCI. “We will soon start an agitation and if the payments are not released, we will boycott the paddy procurement in protest,’ he said.
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Aman Arora wrote to the Prime Minister on Tuesday, pointing out that while other agencies had cleared the dues for wheat procurement, the central agency had been sitting on the bill for the past five days. “Punjab’s formers have always contributed to the central pool and this year, 138 lakh metric tonnes came from the state. Commission agents, transporters and labourers played a crucial role in the process despite the threat of coronavirus. While 123 lakh metric tonnes was procured by state agencies, 15 lakh metric tonnes went to the FCI,” he said.
The Centre had decided to fix May 31 as the last date for procurement of wheat during rabi season 2020-21 in Punjab. For wheat procurement amid Covid-19 restrictions, Punjab Mandi Board had converted 409 additional rice shellers as sub mandi yards across the state during rabi marketing season 2020-21.
The Punjab government had provided details of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act workers to arhtiyas for filling in for the missing migrant labourers, but it had not worked at most places and local casual workers were hired instead.
Federation of Arhtiyas Associations president Vijay Kalra said on Tuesday that they also paid for the labourers hired in grain markets and that money was held up with the FCI. “We will soon start an agitation and if the payments are not released, we will boycott the paddy procurement in protest,’ he said.
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Aman Arora wrote to the Prime Minister on Tuesday, pointing out that while other agencies had cleared the dues for wheat procurement, the central agency had been sitting on the bill for the past five days. “Punjab’s formers have always contributed to the central pool and this year, 138 lakh metric tonnes came from the state. Commission agents, transporters and labourers played a crucial role in the process despite the threat of coronavirus. While 123 lakh metric tonnes was procured by state agencies, 15 lakh metric tonnes went to the FCI,” he said.
The Centre had decided to fix May 31 as the last date for procurement of wheat during rabi season 2020-21 in Punjab. For wheat procurement amid Covid-19 restrictions, Punjab Mandi Board had converted 409 additional rice shellers as sub mandi yards across the state during rabi marketing season 2020-21.
The Punjab government had provided details of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act workers to arhtiyas for filling in for the missing migrant labourers, but it had not worked at most places and local casual workers were hired instead.
