DW BUREAU
With the paddy procurement crisis in Punjab escalating, Leader of the Opposition, Partap Singh Bajwa, on Tuesday, strongly condemned the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for permitting the distress sale of paddy, leaving farmers in a vulnerable state.

During his visit to multiple grain markets in the Qadian assembly segment, Bajwa personally interacted with distressed paddy farmers who have been struggling for weeks to sell their produce.

Despite the urgency of the situation, Bajwa's repeated attempts to contact the Minister for Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs, Lal Chand Kataruchak, proved futile, as the minister's phone remained switched off. "This blatant neglect from a key cabinet minister is alarming. At a time when farmers are desperately trying to sell their crops, Kataruchak's inaccessibility speaks volumes about the insincerity of the AAP government," Bajwa remarked. Farmers in the Mandis voiced their concerns about being coerced into selling their crops at rates ?300 below the Minimum Support Price (MSP). They also revealed discrepancies between moisture tests conducted at Mandis and Market Committee offices, which have further contributed to their plight. Many have been forced to camp in the Mandis for weeks, hoping for fair prices.
(editor@dailyworld.in)