Harpal Singh Cheema today demanded to relax the moisture limit for Paddy procurement to 23 percent and asked the center...

Spokesman News Service: Chandigarh, Nov.6- Senior Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) leader and Leader of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema today demanded to relax the moisture limit for Paddy procurement to 23 percent and asked the center and Punjab government to change their attitude towards the farmers.

Cheema said that it was gross injustice with the farmers to fix the moisture percentage at 17 percent. He said that due to inclement weather conditions, high moisture existed in the air particularly in the months of November when fog is also creating havoc. He said that 17 percent moisture could be ideal when paddy sowing was started before June and in first week fo June. Now the state government has fixed Paddy plantation after June 20 which delays the crop.

AAP leader said that they were worried about depleting under ground water and shrinking of other water resources but blaming only farmers for it is unjustified. He said that if government has forced later plantation of paddy then why farmers are being forced to suffer on account of moisture. He said that farmers were already facing hardship due to debt and agri crisis.

Cheema demanded that if state and center governments are sincere for welfare of farmers, they should immediately revise the moisture percentage to 23 percent and also relax the condition of discoloring of grains.

He said that Punjab farmers were in distress and on path of agitation due to discrimination with them. He appealed to Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and Union food minister for state Harsimrat Kaur Badal to intervene and resolve the issue in the best interest of the farmers.