Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursdayassured the Arhtiyas of his government’s full support in the wake of theCentre’s latest directive ruling out any further relaxation to the state on theissue of Direct Bank Transfer (DBT) to farmers against payment for grainprocurement.
“My doors are open for you,” the Chief Minister told thestate’s Arhtiyas during a virtual meeting, adding that his government wouldcontinue to stand with them and fight for them against the central government’smove to destroy the established system of making payments to farmers throughthem.
Arhtiyas will remain an integral part of the procurementsystem in Punjab, he declared, while directing the concerned department torelease the pending Rs 131 crore of the Arhtiyas, due from the stategovernment.
The Chief Minister said he had been seeking time from PrimeMinister Narendra Modi, who appeared to be busy with election campaigns invarious states, for a meeting on the DBT issue. Though he did not think thePrime Minister would give time to him, he and his government will keep writingto the central government and knocking their doors, he asserted.
He had already written to the Prime Minister on March 19,and had personally spoken to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and the latter hadassured of all help in the matter, Captain Amarinder told the Arhtiyas. Hefurther disclosed that state Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs MinisterBharat Bhushan had also met Shah to discuss the issue.
At the meeting, the Federation of Arhtiya Association ofPunjab accused Haryana of betraying them by accepting the DBT proposal of thecentral government. They described theneighbouring state’s chief minister ML Khattar and PM Modi as two sides of thesame coin. “But we have faith in you,” they told Captain Amarinder.
Promising to do his best for the Arhtiyas, the ChiefMinister said the farmers in Punjab shared long-standing and time-testedrelations with Arhtiyas, who were the backbone of the successful procurementsystem in the state.
An official spokesperson said after the meeting that theChief Minister had discussed with the Arhtiyas their concerns threadbare andassured them that the state government will work out all possible options toresolve the issue and approach the Government of India with the same.
Besides continuance of the existing system of payment tofarmers through them, the Arhtiyas are demanding clearance of all dues from theFood Corporation of India.
They have also opposed linking of land records withfarmers’ produce being brought into the Mandi, pointing out that there is noprovision in the existing APMC Act or Rules to allow this linkage or demandthis data from the farmer. In case it is to be implemented then it wouldautomatically require an amendment in the APMC Rules, the Arhtiyas, led byFederation president Vijay Kalra, pointed out.