Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday said the state government will not allow ‘blackmailing’ and if the need arises, it will not hesitate in getting the rice milling done from outside the state.
His statement came as the state rice millers refused to mill the paddy until their demands were met.
“State government is ready with plan B if the need arises,” Mann said during a meeting with a delegation of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), which is protesting against the alleged ‘tardy’ procurement of paddy.
“Farmers, arhtiyas and millers are part of a chain of food production in the state and it should not be disturbed. State government is committed to safeguarding the interests of every stakeholder. Blackmailing of any of the stakeholders will not be allowed and if needed the state government will not hesitate to get the rice milled from outside the state,” Mann told farmers.
After the meeting, the farmer leaders said they were ending their ongoing protest but gave an ultimatum that they would announce ‘big action’ in case the state fails to ensure smooth paddy procurement within four days.
After the meeting, SKM leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said the CM assured them of starting regular procurement and lifting of paddy within two days.
“We have decided to give him four days. But if the situation remains the same even after four days, we will announce a big action,” Rajewal said.
Mann said that some forces inimical to the state are trying to politicise this matter at the cost of harassing the farmers.
The CM said that he is personally monitoring the procurement and lifting of grains.
“Distress sale of the paddy in the mandis will not be allowed and severest of severe action will be taken against officers found responsible for it,” Mann added.
Notably, the state rice millers besides complaining about the space crunch for storing the fresh paddy crop, have also expressed concern over the out-turn ratio (post-milling yield) of the PR-126 paddy variety, claiming that it will lead to huge losses to them. They have said the out-turn ratio of this variety is less than 67%, a norm fixed by the centre.
Regarding the space crunch, CM said the Union minister had assured that 120 lakh metric tonnes of grain will be shifted outside the state by March 2025.
Mann said that he had already taken up the issues of millers and arhtiyas with the Centre.
Plan B not feasible: Millers
Rice millers said that the state government’s Plan B of getting rice shelled outside milling is not feasible.
“How will they shift the 180 lakh MT of paddy to other states? Who will bear the transportation expense?” said a miller, pleading anonymity.
Meanwhile, Tarsem Saini, president of the Punjab Rice Millers Association, said: “Millers don’t have any issue if the state government wants to shift paddy to other states. Our demands are genuine and we won’t accept paddy until the state and the centre resolve our issues pertaining to PR 126 variety”.
He said that millers are not blackmailing the state but “are fighting for their genuine demands. The state can use the premises of millers to store paddy under its supervision, to ensure smooth procurement.”
Meanwhile, as per reports only a few hundred out of a total of 5,000 odd rice millers in the state have signed agreements with the government for the milling of paddy but they are also not allowing the state procurement agencies to store paddy on the mill’s premises.
