The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today held Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann directly responsible for the plight of farmers in the mandis, claiming that farmers were suffering after following the CM’s appeal to sow early varieties of paddy like PR-126, which are now not being procured.
Addressing the media after a core committee meeting chaired by SAD Working President Balwinder Singh Bhunder, senior SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia stated, “Both the Chief Minister and Food and Civil Supplies Minister, Lal Chand Kataruchak, should be held accountable for their failure to procure paddy, causing severe hardship to farmers.”
Majithia announced that a party delegation would soon meet Governor Gulab Chand Kataria to inform him of the situation and demand a CBI investigation into how farmers are being forced to sell their produce below the Minimum Support Price (MSP) by AAP officials and private entities.
Explaining the situation, Majithia said that while the Chief Minister urged farmers to plant early paddy varieties to conserve water, government agencies like Markfed, Pungrain, and Punsup were now refusing to purchase them, leading to widespread distress. He also alleged that AAP functionaries and private players were coercing farmers into selling their produce for Rs 300-400 less than the MSP.
The SAD leader further highlighted that Basmati farmers were facing significant losses, with current prices at Rs 2,700 per quintal, compared to last year’s Rs 4,000 per quintal. “Farmers are losing Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 per acre, yet the government is not intervening to help,” Majithia said. He also criticized the AAP government for not addressing issues such as the lack of gunny bags, slow procurement, or the shortage of DAP fertilizer for the next crop.
Majithia expressed serious concern about a new “anti-Panthic” coalition between AAP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to support Bibi Jagir Kaur’s candidacy in the upcoming Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) elections. He claimed that BJP members and Punjab government officials were approaching SGPC members at the behest of the AAP government to secure support for Kaur’s candidacy.
Addressing the Sudhar Lehar faction’s involvement, Majithia criticized its alignment with AAP and BJP during elections in Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir. He called on Bibi Jagir Kaur to clarify whether she was challenging the authority of Sri Akal Takht Sahib by contesting the SGPC elections, given that her conduct remains under scrutiny by the supreme body.
When asked about the SAD’s participation in the upcoming by-elections, Majithia dismissed rumors and said the party’s parliamentary board would announce its decision soon. He alleged that the Sudhar Lehar had agreed not to contest the by-elections in exchange for BJP support in the SGPC elections.