Fazilka: 4 truckloads of paddy intercepted

Fazilka, October 28

The Arniwala police intercepted four truckloads of basmati variety of paddy on the Fazilka-Malout road in the district today. Soon after the truck-trailers were intercepted, activists of farmers’ organisations reached the spot and allegedly refused to allow the vehicles to proceed for their destination.

6.93 LMT procured

Chandigarh: The government agencies procured 6,93,761.54 metric tonnes of paddy in Punjab on Thursday. Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu said the govt agencies procured 93,95,999.15 MT paddy, while private millers 46,517 MT.

SHO Balwinder Singh said the police stopped four paddy-laden trucks coming from Haryana on the inter-state barrier at Dhippanwali village in the district. After verifying the antecedents and quality of the paddy, the trucks were allowed to leave for a Fazilka rice mill. However, members of farmers unions refused to allow the trucks to leave.

Narinderpal Singh Warer, vice-president, BKU (Qadian), claimed according to the bills, a comparatively lower quality of paddy had been purchased at a rate of Rs 3,100 per quintal and would be mixed with the local fine 1121 variety, being sold at Rs 3,300-3,400 per quintal.

The farmers said mixing of lower quality paddy resulted in loss to farmers as the 1121 variety was exported and did not fetch the desired price.

Warer said if the government allowed private traders to procure paddy from other states, they would oppose it and distribute the intercepted paddy among farmers. The farmers insisted on checking each bag of paddy being ferried. — OC