Punjab expects release of funds for Wheat procurement after CM meets PM

NEW DELHI : Punjab Government is expecting from Reserve Bank of India(RBI) to release first installment of cash credit limit of Rs.10,000 for procurement of wheat after Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal met the Prime Minister Narender Modi last night and sought his intervention.
The RBI had stopped the CCL of Rs.20,094 crore to Punjab after it was found that food grains worth Rs.12,000 crores were missing from the godowns. The reports indicated that Punjab Government had diverted the funds from CCL to other heads. Food and Supply minister Adesh Partap Singh Kairon admitted that Punjab had diverted Rs.8000 crores for Atta-Dal scheme but money was later refunded with interest. The statement of Kairon had landed Punjab CM in an embarrassing position since the latter was claiming no funds were diverted.
According to an official spokesman, Badal today called on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the latter’s official residence Monday morning and sought an immediate release of Cash Credit Limit (CCL) to enable the state government to make timely payment to the farmers for the wheat procurement.
Chief Minister’s Advisor on National Affairs Harcharan Bains claimed that Prime Minister assured Badal of positive action and said that he would get this issue resolved on priority. Punjab officials claim center had agreed to release Rs.10,000 of CCL limit.
Punjab Government though continuing wheat procurement but no payment is being made to the farmers which is causing unrest among the farming community. In many districts farmers had started carrying their wheat crop to Haryana where instant payment is made after procurement.
Badal had told PM that disaffection in the farming community which might lead to law and order complications. Badal also told the Prime Minister that the farming community in Punjab was passing through severe crisis due to high costs of agriculture inputs as against non remunerative Minimum Support Price (MSP). This, he said, had rendered agriculture a non-profitable venture. “The ever decreasing margins and mounting debt on the farmers has further increased their woes, forcing more and more farmers to quit farming” he added.