Kairon’s persuasion succeeds

* Center government agress to bear value cut

Chandigarh, The Union Government today acceded to the request of Punjab government to bear the value cut on wheat procurement and not made farmers suffer for the vagaries of weather.

The Union cabinet today took a decision to bear the value cut after series of meetings with the Food Minister Punjab Mr. Adaish Pratap Singh Kairon who was able to convince the Union Food Ministry that in this hour of crisis it was imperative for the Union Government to stand in support of Punjab farmers who have fed the nation for the last 67 years.

In a statement issued here today, Mr. Kairon said that he was able to make a point that Punjab farmers should not be made to suffer for the unseasonal rains and hail storms and it was the moral duty of the Union government to bear the loss of value cut, if any. He was able to convince that farmers, irrespective of damaged grains should get the full MSP of their crop as announced by the Union government earlier and no value cut should be imposed on already distressed farmers of Punjab.

In a communiqué sent to the Punjab Food department, it was said that the Centre would reimburse the amount of value cut imposed on the wheat being procured by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and State Government Agencies in Punjab, Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh under relaxed quality norms. The reimbursement of this amount would be made to the State Governments through the FCI. State Governments have decided to bear the amount of value cut imposed on the wheat being procured from farmers by the FCI and State agencies under relaxed specifications in the current Rabi Marketing Season.

Expressing his gratitude to the Prime Minister, Mr. Kairon said that on behalf of Punjab, its people and especially the farming community, we place on record our gratefulness to the Union government for standing with the state in this hour of grave crisis.