With Punjab yet to get full amount of Cash Credit Limit (CCL), farmers and arthiyas (commission agents) have accused the SAD-BJP led state government of delaying the payment of wheat in the ongoing Rabi marketing season.
Expressing concern over "sluggish progress" in lifting of the wheat and "non-payment" to farmers, opposition party Congress has threatened to launch mass agitation if crop "lying" in grain markets was not lifted and the full payment is made.
"Payments to farmers at several places were held up as procurement has not been smooth this time," Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) General Secretary Sukhdev Singh said today.
Commission agents better known as 'arthiyas' have also alleged that the state government had failed to make full payment to growers.
"Farmers as well as arthiyas are suffering as payments are not being made for the purchase of wheat in several grain markets.
"So far, out of total arrival of 101 lakh tonnes of wheat, payment for 30 lakh tonnes of wheat has been made," alleged Vijay Kalra, President, Federation of Arthiya Association of Punjab.
Despite Reserve Bank of India (RBI) authorized CCL of Rs 17,523 crore for the procurement of wheat, the state has received Rs 11,000 crore as first tranche for making payment to growers.
"Out of Rs 17,523 crore, Rs 11,000 crore has been received. The rest of amount has lapsed for the month of April. It will take another three to four days for the release of balance amount after making fresh request," Punjab Mandi Board, Vice Chairman, R S Cheema said.
Notably, the payment to wheat growers were delayed in the month of April also after state did not get sanction for CCL for making payment.
After farmers made hue and cry, the state government had taken up the matter with the Centre and then RBI had issued authorisation of CCL of Rs 17,523 crore for procurement wheat for Rabi season-2016 on April 19.
Congress last month had accused SAD-BJP government of having involved in "foodgrain scandal" alleging that RBI had red-flagged a Rs 12,000 crore "Foodgrains Scandal", directing all banks involved in lending Punjab government's 'Food Borrowing Procurement Programme' to provide for "potential losses" as foodgrains that are supposed to have been bought have "vanished" from godowns.
However, the state government had claimed that there was no disappearance of stocks, saying that all food-grains procured over the years were duly accounted for and handed over to the FCI, through well-documented audited transactions.
Punjab Congress has served a ultimatum to the state government to ensure that all the wheat "lying" in the grain markets across the state was lifted by May 4 and all the payments were cleared to the farmers by that time, failing which it will launch a mass agitation.
Officials claimed that payment to wheat growers will be made for the purchase of their each grain.
Meanwhile, wheat arrivals in Punjab has touched the mark of 101 lakh metric tonne so far and it is expected to reach 106-107 lakh tonne.
