Punjab farmers can now sow paddy from June 14 to 17
Chandigarh, May 18: Conceding to the demand of Punjab farmers, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday announced fresh schedule for staggered sowing of paddy from June 14 and June 17, thus restricting the number of total zones as decided earlier from four to just two.
However, the border belt across the fence has been excluded from the zonal restrictions and the farmers of this region have been allowed to sow paddy from June 10.
Notably, it was earlier decided to undertake paddy cultivation in a staggered manner by dividing the entire state into four zones viz. Zone-I with date of transplantation (June 18), Zone-II (June 22), Zone-III (June24) and Zone-IV (June 26) in order to save the fast depleting groundwater.
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Chairing a meeting with various representatives of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) led by jagjit Singh Dallewal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann asked the farmers to immediately go for paddy nursery so that paddy transplantation could be ensured within the stipulated time schedule.
Fulfilling his government’s firm commitment to ensure MSP on 'Moong' crop, Bhagwant Mann apprised the farm leaders that the state government has already issued a notification to procure the entire crop on MSP of Rs.7275/- per quintal.
He also assured the farmers that the Punjab Government is already in the mode of finalising modalities to procure maize too on MSP to give boost to its ambitious programme of crop diversification.
On the issue of MSP for Basmati, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also informed that he would call on Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday to impress upon the Government of India to immediately announce MSP on Basmati so as to encourage farmers to go for its cultivation in a big way.
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He told the members of the SKM that he would also take up the contentious issue of BBMB with Amit Shah for expeditious resolution to the satisfaction of all stakeholders.
Meanwhile, all members of the SKM also lauded the decision of the state government to promote paddy cultivation through the DSR technique and congratulated the Chief Minister for taking this out of box initiative for the welfare of farming community.
Bhagwant Mann urged the union leaders to give him some time for at least one year to bring farmer friendly reforms in the agriculture sector. He said, “Please bear with me and I assure you that I will make your organisation free from agitations”.
The Chief Minister said his doors of office as well as residence were always open to resolve any issue related to farmers’ welfare with open mind through mutual dialogue to entire satisfactions of all the stakeholders.
-PTC News