Chandigarh, April 10 Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said on Friday that the Centre has agreed to run special trains to transport about 155 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of wheat and rice in the state, providing major relief to farmers and easing the storage crisis ahead of the Rabi marketing season.
Mann, who met Union Food and Public Distribution Minister Pralhad Joshi in Delhi, said the decision would help create space in godowns and ensure smooth procurement of wheat during the ongoing season.
He said that Punjab is facing an acute shortage of storage space as most of its covered godowns are already full, while wheat procurement of around 130-132 MT is expected during the current Rabi season.
The chief minister said that the state has been urging the Centre to speed up the movement of foodgrains, as the current lifting is about 5 MT per month, which is insufficient.
He demanded that it should be increased to at least 12 MT per month.
Mann also raised the issue of Rs 9,000 crore pending under the Rural Development Fund (RDF) and said the Union Minister has assured that a Secretary-level meeting will soon be held to resolve the matter.
He flagged that Punjab is being charged a higher interest rate on cash credit compared to the Centre and demanded that it be made uniform, and added that the state suffers losses due to this difference.
The chief minister further urged the Centre to send a team to assess crop damage caused by recent hailstorms and provide compensation to farmers.
He also raised the issue of commission for arthiyas and expressed hope that it would be increased by about Rs 4.75 per quintal for wheat and paddy.
Mann said the Centre has responded positively to the issues raised and assured necessary action to safeguard the interests of farmers and ensure smooth functioning of mandis in the state, an official statement said here.