Chandigarh, Oct 22 (IANS): The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday said Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was responsible for the plight of farmers in the markets, saying that they were suffering because they had adhered to the appeal of the government and sown early varieties of paddy like PR-126 which were now not being procured.

Briefing the media about proceedings of the core committee meeting held under the chairmanship of the party’s Working President Balwinder Singh Bhunder, senior party leader Bikram Majithia said “Both the Chief Minister and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak should proceed against failing to procure paddy and causing untold misery to farmers.”

Asserting that a party delegation would meet Governor Gulab Chand Kataria soon and apprise him of the situation, Majithia said: “We will also demand a CBI probe into the manner in which farmers are being forced to sell their produce below the minimum support price (MSP) at the instance of AAP functionaries and private players.”

Explaining the issue, Majithia said the Chief Minister had appealed to the farmers to sow early varieties of paddy to save water consumption but “now government agencies, including Markfed, Pungrain and Punsup, were not purchasing these paddy varieties, causing misery to farmers.”

He said many farmers were also being duped by AAP functionaries and private players to offload their produce at rates which were Rs 300 to Rs 400 less than the MSP.

The SAD leader said Basmati farmers were also suffering huge losses selling at Rs 2,700 per quintal against last year’s price of Rs 4,000 per quintal.

“Farmers are facing a loss of Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 per acre but the government is not intervening to save the farmers,” he said.

Majithia also questioned why no AAP minister had visited the ‘mandis’ and addressed the issue of lack of gunny bags, tardy procurement or shortage of DAP for sowing of the next crop.