Punjab blames Centre for ‘tardy’ wheat lifting
Punjab officials blamed delayed wheat lifting by the Centre for congestion in mandis, leaving large stocks exposed to rain. Despite high procurement, nearly 42% remains unlifted due to storage constraints. Authorities cite capacity shortages and logistical delays, raising concerns over potential crop damage and inter-agency coordination issues.
Punjab mandi board chairman Harchand Singh Barsat on Monday blamed the Centre for ‘tardy’ lifting of freshly procured wheat, saying it has led to a glut-like situation in mandis.
“All the warehouses and rice shelling mills in the state are full, and the central government is delaying the transportation of the fresh stock. As a result, grain is lying exposed in mandis and is getting soaked in the rain, leading to losses,” Barsat said in a release.
He said that, to date, 121 lakh tonnes of produce has arrived in mandis, of which 120 lakh tonnes has been procured with ₹27,343 crore paid to the farmers. The state government opened the procurement process on April 1 in 1,872 mandis and has made arrangements for purchasing 122 lakh tonnes of wheat this rabi season.
Countering Barsat’s claim, Food Corporation of India general manager in Punjab, Neetika Pawar, said the agency is working on speedy evacuation of the wheat.
Barsat said, according to the data, as of May 3, 70 lakh tonnes of wheat has been moved to godowns, while 50 lakh tonnes (42%) was lying in the mandis.
“The central government is evading its responsibilities and showing negligence in lifting the crop,” Barsat said, adding the state government has made adequate arrangements in mandis, and if the procured wheat gets damaged in the rain, it will be the central government’s responsibility.
Reacting to Barsat’s claims, Pawar said the volume of wheat that has reached the mandis can’t be evacuated overnight, but the federal agency is working on it.
“Everyone is working hard to move grain from the mandis,” she said, adding that Punjab is being given top priority in the movement of food grains from the state.
Punjab is facing a shortage of storage space this season. Of the 180 lakh tonnes of capacity available with state procurement agencies and the FCI, around 147 lakh tonnes of rice and 25 lakh tonnes of wheat from previous seasons are already lying in godowns. Additionally, 45 lakh tonnes of paddy, stored in mills, is also awaiting to be shelled.
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Source : Hindustan Times
