Capt Amarinder raps govt over failure to pay farmers for paddy

Patiala, Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Capt Amarinder Singh today lashed out at the Punjab government for its failure to make payments to the farmers for their paddy crop. He said, even after one month of their crops having been procured, the farmers were yet to receive any money.
In a statement issued here today, he disclosed that the last payment was made on October 31. It is about a month now and the farmers are still made to take rounds of the mandis for their money which they are unable to get.
Capt Amarinder pointed out, there is no such problem in Haryana or other parts of the country where the farmers have already been paid for their produce. “Just because we have the most incompetent and irresponsible Chief Minister in Punjab our farmers are suffering”, he remarked, while adding, “he (the CM) has nobody to blame as it is solely and wholly his government’s responsibility to arrange timely payments for the farmers”.
Holding the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal squarely responsible for the current crisis, he said the farmers were suffering for none of their faults. He recalled that when he was the Chief Minister the farmers were paid within 24 hours of the purchase of their crops whether it was paddy or wheat. But this time, he added, they have been made to wait for one month and there does not appear any hope of their getting payments immediately.
The former Chief Minister pointed out, this period of time is very critical for the farmers as they have to fulfil several financial commitments. He said, this being the season for marriages and other expenses including the repayment of their debts, the farmers were passing through a crisis situation which was of the government’s making.
Capt Amarinder said, the Chief Minister cannot even blame the centre since his party Akali Dal is part of the government there. Moreover, he added, the centre government provides money according to proper system which Badal has failed to follow and the farmers are bearing the brunt.