Asserts won’t stop approaching Centre till a way out is found to safeguard their interest

Capt Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister, Punjab

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 1

With the Punjab Arhtiyas’ Association threatening to boycott the procurement process in the rabi season on the issue of the direct bank transfer (DBT) of payment to farmers, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today assured the arhtiyas that the state government was working out all possible options to resolve the issue with the BJP-led NDA government. He also said the government would firmly stand by them.

In a meeting with all stakeholders, the state government has sought five days to end the deadlock. The arhtiyas’ association, led by its president Vijay Kalra, said the future course of action on the issue would be decided at a mahapanchayat of arhtiyas, farm labourers and farmer leaders on April 5 in Moga.

“If our demand is not met, we will boycott the procurement,” Kalra said. A senior government functionary said while the Chief Minister had been trying to seek time from the Prime Minister, state officials were holding talks with the Union Food Ministry.

In today’s meeting, the Chief Minister told arhtiyas that his government would continue to stand by them against the central government’s move to end the established system of making payments to farmers through them. The Chief Minister directed the department concerned to release the pending Rs 131 crore of the arhtiyas.

Capt Amarinder informed the meeting that he had been seeking time from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who appeared to be busy with election campaigns in various states, on the DBT issue. He said

he and his government would keep writing to the central government and knocking their doors.

He said he had already written to the Prime Minister on March 19, and personally spoken to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and the latter had assured all help in the matter. He added Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu had also met Shah on the issue.

Agents’ mahapanchayat on April 5

• The Punjab Arhtiyas’ Association has said the future course of action on the DBT issue will be decided at a mahapanchayat on April 5 in Moga
• Besides continuance of the existing system of payment to farmers, the arhtiyas are demanding clearance of all dues from the Food Corporation of India
• They have also opposed linking of land records with farmers’ produce being brought to the mandi, saying there’s no provision in the APMC Act for the linkage