With Punjab truckers boycotting the tender process for transporting grains from mandis to godowns, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday accused the Congress government of failing to make proper arrangements for the procurement season of the Rabi crops.

In a Press statement, the SAD senior vice president and spokesman, Daljit Singh Cheema said the Amarinder Singh government is least bothered for the plight of farmers.

He said it was most painful to see that the procurement of wheat has already started from 1 April and arrival of wheat has begun in mandis (grain markets) of the state but the government has miserably failed to make proper arrangements for the crop’s procurement.

Cheema said that government has even failed to complete tender process for lifting of the produce from the mandis and same is the condition of labour contracts.

He said it was surprising to see that the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) issued press releases on 3 April, three days after the procurement has begun, that the CM is visiting the national capital, New Delhi, for making arrangements for the procurement.

The SAD leader said had the government been serious on procurement issue, it would have taken action at least 15 days before the beginning of the procurement process. He further said it was also unfortunate that government is silent on arrangements of finances for making payments to the farmers for their produce.

Cheema further said that the way the government is moving for making arrangements after the beginning of the season also indicates how it is working on important issues.

He said that the government has already backtracked from its promise of full loan waiver of farmers and was now paying only a fraction of their loans. The SAD leader hoped that the government will realise its follies on the procurement issue and move faster to save the situation from turning serious due to non-procurement and lifting issues.

Protesting against less prices are being offered this season as compared to last year, at most clusters of mandis, truckers have boycotting the tender process for transporting grains from mandis to godowns. Of the 134 clusters of mandis in Malwa and Doaba regions, tenders are yet to be allotted for truckers at most places.

The CM Amarinder Singh on Tuesday travelled to New Delhi in connection with certain issues relating to the finances of the state and the forthcoming wheat procurement season.