Farmers on Monday staged a protest outside the residence of AAP MLA from Sunam Aman Arora over the non-procurement of the moong crop. The farmers arrived outside the house of the MLA with tractor-trailers laden with moong crop and raised slogans against the state government.
They alleged that the government is not purchasing their moong crop, while officials claimed that only the bad quality crop is not being purchased.
The Punjab government has announced a minimum support price (MSP) of ₹7,275 per quintal for the moong crop and making tall claims that it is for the first time that the crop is being purchased on the MSP, a protester said.
Jaswant Singh, another protester, said, “I have been trying to sell the crop for the last 15 days but no one is purchasing the crop, not even at the price of ₹5,000 per quintal.”
Darshan Singh, a protester, said, “The government has announced to give a minimum support price (MSP) on moong crop. But now it seems like a joke to us.”
Jaspal Singh Ghuman, district mandi officer (DMO), Sangrur, said, “The government is procuring the crop which is meeting with quality specifications of the crop. Only the moong with the bad quality is not being purchased. Almost 12% moisture is one of the mandatory specifications for the purchase of moong. However, the moisture is found to be very low in the moong that is reaching grain markets.”
Protest exposes govt’s hollow claims: SAD
Chandigarh The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Monday said that the dharna by farmers at chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s home district Sangrur had exposed the “hollow claims” of the AAP government about the purchase of moong on MSP.
As per the state government figures, 1,503 quintals of moong crop have arrived in the mandis of the state and so far 883 quintals have been procured.
In a statement released here, SAD kisan wing president Sikander Singh Maluka and party spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said farmers who have sown moong on the assurance of the CM were feeling cheated after being forced to stage dharnas outside the houses of AAP ministers and MLAs.
“Contrary to the claims of the CM on the purchase of moong at MSP of above Rs7,200, farmers are being forced to go for distress sale of their produce at ₹5,000 per quintal,” they added.
According to them, instead of “misleading” farmers, the AAP government should have evolved a proper mechanism for the purchase of produce from the farmers.
“With no mechanism in sight and no control of the procurement process by the state government, farmers were facing harassment in mandis. They urged the chief minister to intervene immediately and ensure the procurement of moong on the MSP,” they added.
