High Court Seeks Status Report From Punjab Govt, FCI On Plea To Lift Last Season's Paddy To Create Space For 2024 Season's Crop Amid Farmers Protests

The Punjab & Haryana High Court today has sought status report from the Punjab Government and Food Corporation of India (FCI) on plea filed seeking directions to lift paddy from storage facility and create space for milled rice for Kharif Marketing Season 2024-2025 in Punjab.

Reportedly, the lack of storage space in the FCI's godowns, and the arrival of the new paddy at mandis, has precipitated the crisis in the state. The farmers from October 13 have started protesting across Punjab, for non procurement of their paddy.

Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Anil Kshetarpal were hearing the plea filed by Sunpreet Singh, an advocate by profession, who stated in the plea that the paddy being harvested by the farmers and that is being taken to Mandis for procurement by the government agencies but government agencies are not procuring the produce from the farmer.

"If the crop is not procured on time that will mean Farmers will not get payment of their crop on time and there will be then delay in repayment of the loan from formal and informal sources, which they had taken for crop and therefore there will further delay in getting loan cash credit for new crop which they have to sow. The delay will cause extra rate of interest for farmers who are back bone of the economy of the state," added the plea.

Singh also submitted in the petition that another issue which is alarming is that if the procurement of paddy is delayed in Punjab corollary there also will be delay in sowing next seed i.e wheat.

The date of sowing seed has been fixed for November 01 and therefore there is very little time in-between for farmers to ready their field for next sowing. The farmers will have no choice but to burn the stubble which will have devastating impact on environment, the plea read.

State Counsel submitted during the hearing that the Government is in the process of procurement.

The matter is listed for November 23, for further consideration.

Title: Sunpreet Singh v. UOI & Ors.