Kurali/Mohali: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today held chief minister Bhagwant Mann directly responsible for the harassment being meted out to farmers and arhatiyas due to the ongoing strike by rice millers who are protesting against the wrongful action taken against them by the Food Corporation of India (FCI).
The SAD president interacted with rice millers and farmers at the grain market here during the course of which he castigated the chief minister for not taking up the genuine demands of the rice millers with the centre. “It is twelve days since the millers have gone on strike.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government is yet to take up their case for resolution with the centre. Instead of prevailing on the FCI not to take wrongful action against the millers, the AAP government is arresting millers for raising their voice against the injustice meted out to them. The chief minister should also meet the rice millers and listen to their problems so that the same can be resolved at the earliest”.
Rice millers while interacting with Sukhbir Badal said they had brought the issue to the notice of the AAP government before proceeding on strike.
They said the issue was peculiar to Punjab alone and that farmers in Haryana were not facing any problems in giving delivery of fortified rice kernels to FCI.
The millers said since the micronutrients used to fortify the rice were issued by units licensed by the FCI action should be taken against these units and not the rice millers.
Assuring the millers that the SAD would force the AAP government to do justice with the millers,
Badal also appealed to the centre to resolve the grievances of the rice millers. “This is necessary to ensure smooth procurement which has been affected due to the strike”.
Badal said arhatiyas were also being affected due to the strike and that the State government should understand the seriousness of the issue.
