Paddy lifting: Better facilities in Badals’ home district

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, November 17

Even as a large number of farmers are angry with the state government over various issues, it is laying special emphasis on the ruling Badals’ home district Muktsar in this paddy procurement season.

For example, as many as five IAS officers from the state headquarters, a PCS officer posted as officer on special duty (OSD) to Deputy CM and both OSDs to CM have visited grain markets of the district in about one-and-a-half months to review the situation.

C Roul, Secretary, Education Department, who is nodal officer for the procurement season, visited the district twice on September 26 and October 11. Manish Kumar, OSD to Deputy CM, visited the district on October 12.

Thereafter, KJS Cheema, Special Principal Secretary to CM, visited the district on October 26 and 27. Shivdular Singh Dhillon came here to inspect the situation on October 31. SK Sandhu, Special Principal Secretary to CM, along with Gurkirat Kirpal Singh, MD, Milkfed, visited the district on November 16 and 17.

Both OSDs to CM Gurcharan Singh and Balkaran Singh, too, are touring villages in the Lambi assembly segment to monitor the procurement process.

Sources said a senior officer, who recently visited the district, even faced the wrath of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for not taking the visit seriously and “returning immediately after getting some photographs clicked”.

Farmers from other districts flock to Muktsar

With the better arrangements, faster lifting of paddy crop in Muktsar district, farmers from neighbouring districts, too, have been selling their produce here in the district. A farmer from Kundal village in Fazilka district said he sold off his crop at Karam Patti village in Lambi assembly segment in Muktsar district. “The procurement facilities are much better in Muktsar district in comparison to other districts and so, I made my mind to sell my produce here,” he said.

Courtesy: The Tribune