Punjab News: Bhagwant Mann, the Chief Minister of Punjab, has called upon farm unions not to disrupt road and railway traffic as they advocate for the acceptance of their demands. During his visit to initiate paddy procurement operations in the state, Mann emphasized that such blockades during protests can inconvenience the general public.
Mann expressed his willingness to engage in dialogue regarding any issues faced by farmers and even offered to accompany them for discussions with the central government on matters related to the Union government.
For the current kharif season, the state government has set a procurement target of 182.10 lakh metric tonnes (MT), with 173 lakh MT to be acquired by state agencies. Mann noted that 68,000 MT of paddy had already arrived in state markets, a 48 percent increase compared to the previous year’s procurement in the first two days.
The Chief Minister also urged farmers to cease cultivating water-intensive varieties of paddy
The Chief Minister also urged farmers to cease cultivating water-intensive varieties of paddy, such as PUSA-44, stating that the state government had decided to ban these varieties starting from the next season.
Mann assured that the state had sufficient funds in the state disaster relief fund to compensate for flood-related damages, and relief was being provided to victims. Punjab had already received a cash credit limit of Rs 37,000 crore for the upcoming paddy season.
He called upon farmers to abandon the practice of stubble burning and highlighted efforts to provide equipment for managing crop residue. The state government had mandated the use of stubble as fuel in brick-kilns. Mann also appealed to the Union government to offer profitable alternatives to farmers to discourage stubble burning.
Additionally, he mentioned that Punjab had received three lakh MT of DAP fertilizer, which would benefit farmers during the rabi season. Mann noted a 21 percent increase in the area under basmati cultivation and was joined by several prominent officials and ministers during his visit.
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