Cabinet Minister Mundian accuses central govt for paddy lifting issues

Ludhiana, October 22, 2024: Punjab's Minister for Revenue and Rehabilitation, Disaster Management, Housing and Urban Development, and Water Supply and Sanitation, Hardeep Singh Mundian, criticized the union government on Tuesday for "creating problems" that disrupted the smooth and hassle-free paddy procurement operations. 

After flagging off trucks to transport paddy from the Sahnewal grain market, Mundian accused the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government of implementing wrong policies that have led to these issues. He targeted Prime Minister Modi for step-motherly treatment with Punjab. 

Mundian lashed out at the central government for ignoring Punjab's requests despite Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann's meetings with Union Ministers and written requests to address the problems of storage. This, he argued, demonstrates a desire to hinder the AAP government's efforts to facilitate the farmers.  He also criticized the BJP-led Union government for failing to arrange the movement of existing stock to make space for new arrivals. 

Mundian concluded by stating that the AAP government, under Chief Minister Mann's leadership, is committed to resolving the issues faced by farmers, millers, and commission agents, ensuring they do not experience any inconvenience. He stated that the lifting operations have started here and this will be further expedited in the coming days.

Furthermore, the Minister also reviewed the on-going paddy procurement in a meeting with officials from various agencies, including the Mandi Board and the Food and Civil Supplies department. He assured that elaborate arrangements have been made to lift every single grain of paddy.