Farmers Movement Archive

Gunny bag shortage, tardy lifting leave farmers stuck for days in Tarn Taran

Shortage of gunny bags, tardy lifting and delay in payment for the procured wheat have added to the woes of farming community, who is already opposing the Centre’s three farm laws, in the grain markets of Tarn Taran and Amritsar districts.The farmers are also not happy over the lack of basic facilities, including drinking water and washrooms in the grain markets. In Tarn Taran grain market, Covid-19 protocols were not being followed and there was no arrangement for the hand sanitiser or face mask for the farmers, labourers and the commission agents.“I came here (Tarn Taran grain market) with my produce at around 6am on Monday. It is 4pm and I have not seen any official approaching me for the purchase. It appears that I will have to stay here for at least two more days,” said 85-year-old Sewa Singh of Palasaur village in Tarn Taran.Another farmer Bohar Singh (55) of Jarmastpur village in Tarn Taran said, “I have been in the mandi since Sunday. So far, no one has approached me for the procurement. I am finding it too difficult to get bardana. My 8-acre produce is lying in the open and what will happen if rain comes?”He said, “Like me, many farmers have been waiting for two days to get their produce purchased. Even those farmers whose crop has been purchased in the last three days have still not got the payment.”Amandeep Singh, 40, a farmer in Bhikhiwind village of Tarn Taran said, “I remained in Bhikhiwind mandi for three days before my crop was purchased on Friday. However, still I have not got the payment.”General secretary of Tarn Taran Arhtiya Association Yashpal Sharma said, “Barring Warehouse and FCI, the procurement agencies have no bardana. Due to this, the farmers and commission agents have been facing problems for the last three days. There has been no lifting from Tarn Taran grain market.”Avtar Singh (62), a farmer of Manawala village, who owns 15 acres of land, said he came to Bhagtanwala grain market with his 70 quintal wheat early Monday morning. “It is 4pm and there is no hope for the purchase because of non-availability of bardana,” he said.Bhagwanwala grain market’s Arhtiya Association president Amandeep Singh Chhinna said, “Nearly 5,000 metric tonne wheat has reached the grain market, but there has been zero lifting so far. Only Markfed and FCI agencies have purchased the crop of a few farmers. There is a big problem due to bardana.”Tarn Taran deputy commissioner (DC) Kulwant Singh said there is no shortage of bardana. He said, “There is a requirement of 25,328 gunny bags overall in the district and we have already got 13,197 bags. So far, only 1,770 bags have been used. We will soon get the remaining bags.”Tarn Taran district food supply controller Sukhwinder Singh said, “Out of the total pending ₹11 crore, payment of ₹2 crore has been released to farmers. There had been a technical glitch due to the new DBT system. We are trying to release the payment within 48 hours of the purchase.”Amritsar DC Gurpreet Singh Khehra said out of the total 21,002 metric tonne that has reached the grain markets, 11,015 metric tonne has been purchased. He said all the arrangements are in order. Amritsar district administration also released a press note of some farmers expressing their gratitude for the adequate arrangements for the procurement in the district.

Hindustan Times

20-04-2021

Chandigarh