Chandigarh [India]: Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his personal intervention in the issue of paddy procurement and allowing the state to start the procurement from October 3 only. “On Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s request, Centre allows Punjab to start paddy procurement from October 3. Chief Minister thanks Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his personal indulgence to resolve this issue expeditiously,” CMO Punjab tweeted. In a statement by Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), Channi said that this decision would be now instrumental in ensuring smooth and hassle-free procurement of paddy to the satisfaction of the farmers. Channi on Friday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi and sought his personal intervention to advise the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution to withdraw its letter regarding postponement of paddy procurement and allow the state to begin paddy procurement from October 1 instead of the proposed October 11. The Chief Minister’s remarks came after the Centre allowed the procurement of paddy in Punjab and Haryana from October 3. Amid protests in Punjab and Haryana over the delay in paddy procurement, Union Minister of State Ashwini Kumar Choubey on Saturday said that the procurement will start from tomorrow (Sunday) in both Haryana and Punjab. The decision came after, Choubey, who is Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, met with Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar here in the national capital on Saturday. “The procurement (of Kharif crops) will start from tomorrow in Haryana as well as Punjab,” Choubey told reporters after the meeting. As per a press release issued by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution on Friday, the Central government has decided that procurement of paddy under Minimum Support Price (MSP) operation would commence from October 11 in Punjab and Haryana and has advised all the agencies to gear up to help farmers. Widespread rainfall has been experienced across Punjab and Haryana during the second fortnight of September and untimely showers have affected the standing paddy crop in both the agrarian states, the ministry said.
