Don't oppose blindly: Punjab farmers attack CM Mann over E20, seek talks with Centre
Punjab farmer unions on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government over its opposition to the Centre’s E20
Punjab farmer unions on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government over its opposition to the Centre’s E20 ethanol-blended fuel policy, accusing the state dispensation of indulging in political posturing instead of engaging in constructive talks with the Union government. The criticism came during a Kisan Vidhan Sabha organised by the Azad Kisaan Morcha in Chandigarh, in which 16 farmer unions participated. Read Full Story The farmer organisations adopted a resolution urging the Punjab government to examine the policy’s impact on crop demand, procurement, pricing, marketing and farm incomes before taking a confrontational stand. They said the state should press the Centre for safeguards to ensure that any policy shift does not economically harm Punjab’s farmers. "Opposing the E20 policy just for the sake of opposition is not a solution. The challenges it poses to Punjab’s farmers and the agricultural sector, specifically regarding crop demand, procurement, pricing, marketing, and farmer income, must be thoroughly understood and addressed," the resolution said.
It added that if the policy affects crop demand, procurement or prices, "adequate compensation and alternative arrangements for farmers must be guaranteed in advance". The resolution also called for stronger support for crop diversification. It said the Punjab government should present farmers’ concerns to the Union government while ensuring guaranteed markets, fair prices and procurement support for crops such as paddy, maize and sugarcane. "The Kisan Vidhan Sabha believes that instead of blindly opposing policies, practical and farmer-friendly solutions should be developed by identifying the underlying issues," it said. BKU (MANN) WRITES CM Adding to the criticism, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Mann) chief and former Rajya Sabha MP Bhupinder Singh Mann wrote to Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann asking him to reconsider the Punjab Assembly’s resolution seeking suspension of mandatory E20 petrol for vehicles not certified for the 20 per cent ethanol blend. Copies of the letter were also sent to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari.
Mann said consumer concerns relating to mileage, vehicle compatibility, warranties and fuel quality were valid, but should be addressed through scientific testing and safeguards rather than by rolling back ethanol blending. He argued that Punjab could not encourage farmers to diversify away from the wheat-paddy cycle while weakening the market for alternative crops. "Punjab cannot promote crop diversification on the one hand and weaken the market for crops such as maize on the other," he said, pointing out that maize requires much less water than paddy and already receives financial support from the state government. He further argued that ethanol production could improve the viability of sugar mills, ensure timely payments to sugarcane growers and create demand for maize, sorghum, damaged grain and agricultural residue. He also advocated a stable five-year feedstock policy favouring low-water crops and agricultural residue, and said second-generation ethanol could provide an economical use for paddy straw.
The BriefWire