Amritsar, May 10: The Punjab Revenue and Public Relations Minister Mr.
Bikram Singh Majithia today accused the Congress led UPA Government
for deliberately allotting the quota of gunny bags to Madya Pradesh,
which was of Punjab state.
In a statement issued here today, Mr. Majithia said that due to the
step motherly behavior of Union Government the farmers of Punjab were
facing problems in the grain markets of the state due to shortage of
gunny bags. The Minister said that its a very common phenomena that
congress led union governments always ignored the interests of Punjab
farmers, who were contributing more than 40 percent rice and 55
percent wheat in the central pool, but now it is shameful despite
leading the country on food security front the farmers of Punjab were
facing acute shortage of gunny bags.
Mr. Majithia said that despite the unfair weathers and high increase in
agri inputs, the hard working farmers of Punjab produced more than 170
lakh metric tonnes wheat from which Punjab is all set to contribute
more than 1.20 lakh metric tonnes in central pool but the Union
Government was still adopting adamant attitude to announce a minimum
bonus of Rs 500 on wheat.
Disclosing this that Punjab Government deposited Rs 275 crore with
the Jute Commissioner for required gunny bags before the commencement
of wheat procurement but the despite depositing the requisite amount
the Congress led UPA Government deliberately allotted the Punjab’s
gunny bag quota to Madhya Pradesh.
Mr. Majithia said that it was the result of wrong policies of UPA
Government that the problem of rotting grains in open was the result
of centre government’s failure on this front. He said that the matter
was serious because we are losing natural resources, farmers were
suffering whereas poor were dying due to hunger. He said that what
would be more shameful for the Union Government of a country where
more that 30 percent population have been living under the below
poverty line but the grains are rotting due to the shortage of gunny
bags.
Mr majithia said that the Union Government should immediately provide
the required gunny bags to the state and vacate the godowns in the
state besides announcing a minimum Rs. 500 bonu
