The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab has reacted to the meeting between the central government and the shelter owners. The party questioned that the central government was aware of all the issues then why delayed addressing them, causing undue distress to farmers and commission agents.
AAP leader Pawan Kumar Tinu said that farmers and commission agents have been protesting continuously, and their crops are deteriorating while the central government remains inactive. He criticized the government for staying asleep on the issue for so long, calling the meeting a mere façade by the BJP. He alleged that the BJP’s negative mindset towards Punjab and its vengeful attitude towards farmers have led to this situation, as the party seeks to take revenge for the farmers’ protests.
AAP spokesperson Neel Garg said that five years ago, commission agents used to receive 2.5% of the MSP, which has now been reduced to just ₹45. He urged the central government to address the main demand of the mill owners, which is to clear the old rice stored in FCI warehouses promptly. Garg added that the pressing issue is the inability of the FCI to purchase the crops stored in the shelters. He said that while the amount for 90% of the crop harvested has been credited to farmers’ accounts, the challenge remains regarding where to store the purchased crops.
Garg stated that the meeting with millers could have happened earlier, but the BJP’s intention was to trouble Punjab’s farmers and commission agents deliberately.
AAP spokesperson Bikramjit Passi asserted that the entire issue is related to the central government, which has intentionally created this problem as part of a larger conspiracy to devastate Punjab’s farmers. He pointed out that while the government has issued the CCL, there has been no effort to clear storage space for the grain. He accused the central government of deliberately slow lifting processes, stating that the Punjab government has done its part to help solve the issues by reducing various fees and increasing payments to rice mills from ₹1.94 to ₹2.32. He said that any necessary changes must come from the central government, which is purposefully delaying action to keep farmers and commission agents in distress.
Passi urged the central leadership of the BJP to heed the words of their own leader, Sunil Jakhar, and change their outlook towards Punjab, putting an end to their neglectful behavior.
