Punjab farmers denied Rs 10 on a quintal of wheat: Chandumajra

New Delhi, Apr 22 (UNI) Unlike their counterparts in Uttar Pradesh, the Punjab farmers stand to lose Rs 10 per quintal over and above the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 650 plus a bonus Rs 50 a quintal of wheat, thereby forgoing a cumulative loss of nearly Rs 100 crore on sale of surplus wheat this season.

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has promised to pay Rs 10 a quintal, extra, if wheat was sold to it directly. But the Punjab government under pressure from 'arhtiyas' (commission agents) suppressed this incentive while the UP government had encouraged its farmers to avail it, Akali Dal (Longowal) president Prem Singh Chandumajra today alleged.

While announcing the bonus on wheat procured by the FCI and state agencies last evening, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar announced that the incentive would be paid in addition to the MSP plus bonus.

Punjab farmers are expected to sell around 100 lakh tonnes of wheat to the official agencies this Rabi season (2006-07).

Mr Chandumajra charged Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had succumbed to the 'undue' pressure from 'arhtiyas' causing a severe loss to the already debt-ridden farmers, which had driven some of them to commit suicide.

''If the farmers bring the produce directly to the FCI godowns for sale, the arhtiyas will stand to loose their commission tentatively up to Rs 18 a quintal which is being borne by the purchasers now,'' he pointed out.

''The Chief Minister should be aware of the fact that the agents were already bleeding the farming community in Punjab as his government had not imposed any check on their charging of abnomal interest on agricultural loans and making forcible recoveries from hapless farmers with active help from corrupt administrative machinery,'' he added.

The Akali leader demanded that instead of ''appeasing'' the 'arhtiyas' the government should arrange an addtional payment of Rs 10 to farmers on the wheat sold by them this year.

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