New Delhi, August 10:Citing social, economic and security implications of the prolonged farmers’agitation, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday pressed Union HomeMinister Amit Shah for immediate repeal of the Farm Laws, which had causedgreat resentment amongst farmers from Punjab and other states.
Expressing concernover the fear of inimical powers fromacross the border trying to exploit the resentment and disgruntlement againstthe Government, the Chief Minister sought and enduring and expeditious solutionto the farmers’ concerns.
The Chief Ministersaid protests have been going on in Punjab ever since the Union Governmentissued the ordinances in June 2020. “While these protests have so far beenlargely peaceful, one can sense rising tempers, especially as the State movestowards elections in early 2022,” he warned.
The prolongedagitation is not only impacting economic activities in Punjab but also has thepotential to affect its social fabric, especially when political parties andgroups take strong positions, he added.
Citing reports, theChief Minister said more than 400 farmers and farm workers had laid their livesin their fight for their rights since the agitation shifted to the Delhiborders.
He recalled that thathe had even earlier sought appointment from Shah to meet with an All-Partydelegation from Punjab.
Captain Amarinderalso flagged the urgent need to compensate farmers for the management of paddystraw @ Rs.100 per quintal and to address the growing fear of shortage of DAP,which would further aggravate the problems of farmers.
He urged Shah toimmediately advise the officials of the Fertilizers department for enhancedallocation of DAP stocks to Punjab as per the revised demand by the State andto further direct the suppliers to ensure that adequate supplies are given asper schedule.
Pointing to therecent increase in the cost of phosphatic fertilizers subsumed by theGovernment of India into the subsidy only till October 31, 2021, the ChiefMinister said that the firming up of DAP prices in the international market andthe uncertainty about the extent of subsidy were contributing immensely to anapprehension of a likely shortfall of DAP in the ensuing Rabi season. The lackof response from the DAP suppliers to the tenders floated by MARKFED for thepurchase of DAP for pre-positioning has further aggravated these apprehensions,he added.
As a result ofdifficulties being faced by MARKFED to arrange DAP supplies through tendering,the State Government has requested the Department of Fertilizers to make anadditional allocation of at least 3.5 lac MTs of DAP on a priority basis tillOctober, and another 1.5 lac MTs of DAP up to 15th November, 2021, so as toensure timely availability of DAP for sowing of wheat in the state, the ChiefMinister informed Shah. He said that the state government had already requestedan additional allocation of 0.75 LMT in August and 1.5 LMT in September, overand above its original Kharif demand of 0.80 LMT and 0.75 LMT during August andSeptember 2021 respectively. The enhanced allocation for August had not beenapproved so far, he added.
The timelyavailability of DAP would greatly help in reducing panic buying and blackmarketing, which would bring a bad name to both the State and the CentralGovernments, Captain Amarinder further said.
Pertinently, Punjabrequires 5.5 Lakh MT of DAP for the forthcoming Rabi season. About 50% of thetotal requirement is supplied through cooperative societies in the state. Sincethe consumption of DAP is mostly limited to a short period from the last weekof October to the third week of November, when about 80% of the area underwheat is sown, it is necessary to preposition DAP in different parts of theState by the middle of October to avoid any last-minute shortage and resultantdelay in sowing.