Chandigarh, Punjab: Farmers in Punjab are still waiting for compensation promised by the Centre during procurement of wheat by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state government agencies.
The Narendra Modi led government had announced in April that it would reimburse the amount of value cut being imposed during procurement of wheat in six states including Punjab.
But two months have passed, and farmers who sold wheat directly to FCI are yet to receive any compensation. Punjab farmers say that FCI had mopped up Rs 20 crore in the form of value cut from them.
Farmers like Karnail Singh earned Rs 1,450 per quintal when he sold a part of his crop at the local wholesale market in Kharar, but when he sold the remaining crop in Chandigarh's grain market, Rs 10.88 were deducted by FCI as value cut.
FCI had directly procured 18.48 lakh metric tonnes of wheat from farmers in the state, while procurement of about 80 lakh metric tonne was done through five agencies of the state government.
Through a circular issued on 26th April of which NDTV has a copy, FCI directed its area managers to make payments after deducting value cut amounts. The circular claimed that the state government would reimburse this deducted amount to farmers.
Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal said, "whatever we procure, we do it on behalf of the FCI... so any payment whatsoever has to be done will be done by the Centre and not the state govt."
The Narendra Modi led government had announced in April that it would reimburse the amount of value cut being imposed during procurement of wheat in six states including Punjab.
But two months have passed, and farmers who sold wheat directly to FCI are yet to receive any compensation. Punjab farmers say that FCI had mopped up Rs 20 crore in the form of value cut from them.
Farmers like Karnail Singh earned Rs 1,450 per quintal when he sold a part of his crop at the local wholesale market in Kharar, but when he sold the remaining crop in Chandigarh's grain market, Rs 10.88 were deducted by FCI as value cut.
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FCI had directly procured 18.48 lakh metric tonnes of wheat from farmers in the state, while procurement of about 80 lakh metric tonne was done through five agencies of the state government.
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Through a circular issued on 26th April of which NDTV has a copy, FCI directed its area managers to make payments after deducting value cut amounts. The circular claimed that the state government would reimburse this deducted amount to farmers.
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Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal said, "whatever we procure, we do it on behalf of the FCI... so any payment whatsoever has to be done will be done by the Centre and not the state govt."
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