Punjab CM must compensate rice millers, says leader of Opposition

Blaming the state government for “mismanagement” amid the rice procurement crisis, leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa on Sunday said chief minister Bhagwant Mann should immediately compensate Punjab’s rice millers, who are staring at an estimated ₹6,000-crore loss. Bajwa termed CM Mann’s “Plan B” for paddy milling as “Plan Bluff,” accusing the CM of attempting to “mislead” public and drive a wedge between farmers and rice millers.

Bajwa, in a statement, said that according to rice millers, CM Mann proposed transporting Punjab’s paddy to distant states like West Bengal and Kerala for milling. “It’s absurd, both logistically and financially,” he said, adding that the CM was attempting to intimidate the rice millers.

Bajwa blamed the hybrid PR-126 paddy variety, claiming it yields only 62-kg rice per quintal whereas traditional varieties produce 67 kg. He said Mann promoted this variety without ensuring proper yield testing.

This article has been republished from The Hindustan Times