Punjab Government urge Centre to suspend Direct Bank Transfer Scheme for Farmers

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has opposed the Centre’s scheme to make a direct payment in Farmer’s account, bypassing commission agents for the crop that the government will procure from the rabi season. 

Chief Minister sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that he asked the Union Ministry of consumer affairs, food, and public distribution to carry over the implementation of the scheme for at least a year. He said he has also looked for the availability of Prime Minister Modi for a meeting on this issue. 

The arthiyas and farmers have a long relationship, questioning the requirement to change the system, which, he claimed, was working very well. 

He questioned that around 50 percent of farmers give their land on contract, so how will those farmers get the money under a direct bank transfer scheme? 

In his letter, Punjab CM drew PM Modi’s attention to Union Ministry’s order, asking the state government to ensure direct payment to farmers along with online submission of the details of landowners and cultivators. 

For the past many years, the state procurement agencies and FCI have been procuring food grains for the central pool, he said. 

In the light of the old relationship between farmers and arthiyas in Punjab,” farmers have never complained of non-receipt of MSP payment,” he said. 

The chief minister said that the land ownership and tenancy issues might have risen to several unavoidable legal problems, especially during the ongoing farmer’s campaigning.  He added this may increase the pain and unrest among the farmers.