Paddy crisis -- Situation explosive, Punjab CM tells PM, attacks FCI
BAJINDER PAL SINGH

CHANDIGARH, OCTOBER 9: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today launched a scathing attack on Food Corporation of India (FCI) chief Bhure Lal, saying his observation that 80 per cent of the state's paddy was substandard has ``added insult to the injury suffered by the highly agitated farmers in the state''. He accused Bhure Lal of turning the situation into an ``explosive one''.

The Punjab CM has suggested two measures to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in order to resolve the crisis: relaxation in specifications and a reduction in the ``rice out turn ratio''. The Centre has specified this ratio at 67 per cent, which means that a kilogram of paddy should yield 670 grams of rice. The Punjab government wants the Centre to reduce it to about 63 per cent.

Badal, who called on the PM today at Delhi before Vajpayee left for Mumbai, briefed him about the situation and expressed the fear that it ``may take an ugly turn'' if the farmers weren't given a helping hand.

In a letter delivered to the PM, Badal is reported to have questioned Bhure Lal's statement, saying it was meant to pre-empt any decision by the high-level team sent by the PM to Punjab. The letter said ever since the FCI chief visited Punjab, paddy procurement by his organisation had come down from 36 per cent to 32 per cent against its allotted share of 40 per cent.

Punjab has reportedly argued that introducing qualitative changes in paddy and rice is a long-term process involving R&D. Badal also met Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha to discuss the implications of the proposed relaxations in favour of Punjab farmers. Food Minister Shanta Kumar was away in Himachal Pradesh.

As against 59.3 lakh MTs of paddy purchased last year, 33.25 lakh MTs has been purchased this year. Rice millers have purchased 12 lakh MTs, state procurement agencies 14.61 lakh MTs and the FCI 6.86 lakh MTs.

Harpreet: CM's denial
CHANDIGARH:Chief Minister P S Badal has denied he was a party ``to destruction of any evidence or any other offence'' in the case relating to the death of Harpreet Kaur, daughter of SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur. In a two-page statement, the CM said his presence at the cremation ``was with the sole objective of discharging a routine social engagement, nothing more and nothing less''.

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