Slow lifting of paddy piles up stock in grain markets

Our Correspondent

Jagraon, November 29

The slow pace of paddy lifting has led to piling up of huge stock of the crop in grain markets of the Jagraon area.

Though the procurement season ended a few days ago, the Jagraon Grain Market, which is the second largest market in Asia after the Khanna Grain Market, is bulging at its seams with the paddy stock.

Slow lifting of the crop is being cited as the main reason behind the issue. Similar is the situation at the other grain markets located in the rural areas of the town where huge stocks of paddy are still to be lifted. Meanwhile, hundreds of tonnes of procured paddy is lying in the open at various grain markets.

According to sources, the stock could not be lifted from grain markets till the day because private rice millers had been demanding more bags of paddy per truck on the pretext of high moisture in the crop.

Meanwhile, a large number of labourers led by Pendu Mazdoor Union, staged a protest at Sidhwan Bet Grain Market against slow lifting of paddy from grain markets. Labourers raised slogans against rice millers, procurement agencies and the district administration during the protest.

While addressing protesters, the district president of the union, Avtar Singh Rasoolpur, alleged that, “Rice millers have been blackmailing the administration by demanding more bags of paddy per truck on the pretext of high moisture content in the crop.”

“If rice millers have any problem regarding moisture in the paddy, they should take up the matter with procurement agencies and the district administration instead of halting the lifting and blackmailing them by demanding more bags of the crop per truck citing high moisture content,” said Rasoolpur.

The Jagraon Market Committee secretary, Jasmit Singh Brar, said, “Paddy lifting has been going on smoothly and the whole stock will be cleared from grain markets soon.”