Paddy season at peak, farmers face power, labour pangs

Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Patiala, June 24

Paddy sowing is picking up the pace in state, but most of the farmers are facing a tough time for various reasons. First, the procrastination of the paddy date, and, now, the acute shortage of labourers have left the farmers in the lurch. Due to the labour crunch, farmers are seen running after the migrant labourers for paddy sowing.

Farmers are blaming the state government for the current situation.

Due to the instructions of the government not to sow the paddy before June 20, many farmers had delayed the process. And of now, very less time is left for sowing; therefore, farmers are rushing to hire the labourers. Farmers can be seen visiting railway stations and bus stands to hire migrants - arriving from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh for sowing paddy.

Farmers are even ready to shell out extra bucks to hire migrants to complete paddy sowing work on time.

Jagmohan Singh, General Secretary of Bhartiya Kisan Union, Dakunda, said, “Farmers in the state have been hit from all fronts. Usually, paddy transplantation begins from June 1, but this year the government shifted the date to June 20. Due to this shift, the time interval for paddy transplantation has reduced, following which, the farmers are facing the shortage of labourers.” 

Despite the state government’s promise to provide sufficient power supply during the ongoing paddy plantation, many farmers are complaining of shortage of power supply. Government had assured uninterrupted eight hours of power supply, but power is available for only five to six hours. Farmers laid siege to power grids in the Patiala, yesterday.

A Rathuan village-based farmer, Amrinder Singh, said: “Farmers get a power supply for only five to six hours against eight hours, promised by the government.”

Jagmohan Singh, another disgruntled farmer said, “The tall claims of the state government of providing eight hour electricity supply have fallen flat. The government is not able to provide with eight hours of supply even in paddy season; this is unfortunate.” 

25 per cent paddy sown

According to the reports, until Saturday, farmers could plant paddy only in 60,000 hectares against a target of 2,32,300. District Agriculture Officer Arvinder Singh said: “Until now, 25-30 per cent paddy has been sown in the district.” While the farmers are busy planting the paddy, the government is enticing them not to cross the stipulated figure of paddy sowing. In fact, the Punjab Government is pushing hard for crop diversification in the state.