Ex-SAD minister accused of neglecting rice trade

Thursday, 14/09/2017

http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx

PATIALA: The Rice Millers Association (Punjab) has blamed former food and civil supplies minister Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon for the neglect of the rice trade in Punjab and shutting down of many rice mills in the state during the past one decade. The association also blamed its leader Tarsem Saini for promoting corruption in the trade for the benefit of government officials and politicians.

Gian Chand Bhardwaj, who held a press conference here on Tuesday, is a protégé of former Union minster Preneet Kaur, is leading a break-away faction of rice millers and parted ways from the association, led by Tarsem Saini, who was a confidant of the Akali regime.

Bhardwaj, president of the association, announced that Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh has accepted their demand to restore the 2007-08 milling policy, which gives some concessions to the millers. He said that with the implementation of this policy, the pick-and-choose policy will not work and all rice millers will get quota of paddy as per their installed milling capacity. So far, the milers had to bow before some ‘unscrupulous’ officials to get paddy for milling.

He said that due to the punitive policies of Kairon, and failure of the Punjab government to lift PUSA 201 variety in 2009, many rice millers had suffered a loss during the past one decade. He said that not only the millers but the state government also suffered losses because of the loss of revenue and employment, as anti-trader policies forced rice millers to shut their units.

He said now chief minister Amarinder Singh personally took up the matter with the Central government and provided several reliefs to rice millers, including one-time settlement (OTS) acheme to provide opportunity to millers to settle their outstanding amounts in one go. He said that the CM has also assured that paddy will be procured as per the laid down specifications in the coming procurement season.

He said that soon a delegation will meet the CM to urge him to defer the recoveries from rice millers for a year, so that they can earn money in this milling season and then return back to government.

This will help the government to earn money and also to increase employment opportunities, he added.

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RANA GURJIT SINGH INAUGURATES MARKFED SALES BOOTH AT LOHIAN

Thursday, 01/08/2019

https://www.brightpunjabexpress.com/index.php/2019/07/31/rana-gurjit-singh-inaugurates-markfed-sales-booth-at-lohian/

Jalandhar : In a major step to boost the rural economy besides providing employment to youth in villages, MARKFED has launched a sale booth in Lohian, which would, provides more than 100 eatable items.