Amarinder takes up procurement issue with Food Minister

Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh on Friday raised the issue of problems faced by farmers on procurement in the state with Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan. He complained to Paswan that as a result of this “collusion”, the farmers’ paddy was not being picked up from mandis.

“The farmers were thus being forced into a situation where, out of sheer desperation, they would have to sell their paddy at lower rates, helping the Akali middlemen make money out of the criminal nexus,” he told Paswan. In the telephonic conversation, Paswan assured Amarinder that he would look into the matter and take required action. Amarinder told Paswan that he had personally visited several mandis, where he had checked the paddy quality and found the moisture content within the permissible range.