Potato farmers of Doaba region and the Bharati Kisan Union (BKU), Lakhowal faction ridiculed the decision of the Punjab government for granting freight subsidy of Rs 2 crore only on potato as against the demand of Rs 125 crore.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had announced this relief on December 4 at Shahpur village of the district during his sangat darshan programme. The potato growers association and the BKU have rejected this offer of the government and had decided to dump potato crop in the city chowks on December 15.
Jalandhar Potato Growers Association president Jaswinder Singh Sangha and BKU secretary general Puran Singh Shahkot said the potato farmers of Doaba region were facing grave financial as well mental crisis due to already existing stock of more than 40 lakh of gunny bags of potato worth more than Rs 80 crore in the cold stores of the State whereas the new potato crop, a bumper produce this year was ready to land in the market.
Since the farmers could not realise the cost of cultivation of 2010 crop and the scene for the 2011 crop had worsened to such an extent that the farmers are neither able to pay their bank dues nor cold store charges and rents, they added. They said the farmers were prepared to dispose of the produce at any rate but there are not takers. Faced with this type of grim financial scenario, the farmers are forced with an uncertain future and the reports of suicides are already trickling in.
The farmer leaders said the potato growers were expecting comprehensive intervention by both Central and State governments to tide over the potato crisis and demanded relief measures. The farmers have also appealed to the administration to earmark the spots where they could dump their unsold produce to avoid inconvenience to the general public.