Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann criticized the farm unions for their frequent road blockades, stating that such actions are unjustified and that “excess of everything is bad.” His comments came during farmers’ protests over the slow procurement of paddy in the state.
Mann, who was in New Delhi to discuss the timely supply of DAP fertilizer with Chemical and Fertiliser Minister JP Nadda, noted that the state government has already addressed the concerns of arhtiyas (commission agents) and has been actively advocating for millers with the central government, which has helped speed up the procurement process.
He emphasized that agitating during the ongoing procurement season is unnecessary and causes inconvenience to the public. Mann assured farmers that if the central government fails to procure the millers’ produce by June 2025, the state government would take action to do so.
He mentioned that issues in the procurement of paddy are arising from delays in the transportation of previously purchased food grains by the Food Corporation of India (FCI), a matter he has raised with Home Minister Amit Shah and Food Minister Pralhad Joshi.
On a positive note, Mann reported that 4 lakh metric tonnes of paddy had been procured in mandis across the state on Saturday, and the procurement process is continuing smoothly.