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Sukhbir demands crores for farmers

CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to pass on to Punjab’s farmers the benefit of Rs.13,000 crore saved in foreign exchange as a result of record wheat procurement from the State for the Central pool.

According to a party release here, Mr. Badal in a letter to Mr. Singh said this amount was the difference between the procurement price paid to the farmers and the amount that the Centre was ready to spend on importing wheat. “Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar had actually announced the Government’s intention to buy wheat from the international market to ensure food security for the country as the Centre apprehended a drop in production and procurement in the country,” he said. Citing figures, Mr. Badal said the procurement from the State this year had already crossed the 10- million metric ton mark and the final figure could be more than 13 crore quintals. “For this, the Government had paid the Punjab farmers only Rs.11,500 crore. This worked out to a saving of over Rs.13,000 crore for the Centre at the prevailing international prices,” he said.

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