While notifying the PM, the chief minister expressed grief as well as shock that even upon accepting state’s earlier representation to announce relaxations, the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs and The Food and Public Distribution had imposed heavy value cuts in the MSP.
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh urged for an immediate withdrawal of the value cut imposed by the center on farmers also allowing relaxations in specific relation to shrivelled grains and lustre loss due to unseasonal rains in the state.
While notifying the PM, the chief minister expressed grief as well as shock that even upon accepting state’s earlier representationto announce relaxations, the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs and The Food and Public Distribution had imposed heavy value cuts in the MSP, thus adding to the grieved situation of the farmers who have already suffered much loss due to diminished incomes and the lockdown effects. He further demanded relaxations without any value cut. The value cut imposed is said to vary from Rs. 4.8 to Rs. 24.0 per quintal for shrivelled grains and Rs. 4.8 for lustre loss.
In response to the reference made by the Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Department, the Union Ministry permitted certain relaxation for wheat crop failing to meet the standards of shrevelled grains and lustre loss, but imposed
value cut.
The Chief Minister further said that unseasonal rains had lashed many parts of Punjab in the month of March, 2020, before the wheat crop could mature. The problem was compounded by the announcement of lockdown across the country and
the farmers were unable to take preventive measures to save their crops. It’ll be unfair to lessen their income for the reasons beyond their control, he added.
