‘Kisan fairs at marriage palaces waste of money’
MOGA: Farmer unions in Punjab have questioned the agriculture department’s move to organise farmer training camps at luxury private marriage palaces, saying that government is wasting exorbitant amount of money on these venues instead of using it for the welfare of debt-ridden farmers of the state.
In the past, ‘Kisan’ fairs were used to be held in local grain markets or farms. But after the formation of the AAP government in the state, the agriculture department has shifted the trend and started holding camps at high-profile marriage palaces.
Recently, the agriculture department organised training camps at luxury marriage palaces in various districts, including Jalandhar, Tarn Taran and Barnala.
On Tuesday, a similar camp was organised at a marriage palace in Moga but farmer unions alleged that the agriculture department did not even provide any information to farmers “due to which most were not able to attend the Kisan fair.”
However, similar functions were organised at the grain market in Ferozepur and the agriculture farm in Faridkot.
BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) state general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokri said that farmers were not informed about this ‘Kisan fair’ at Moga.
“These training camps make no sense during the harvesting season as all the farmers are either busy in fields or at grain markets. While farmers are committing suicide due to loans and financial conditions, the agriculture department is spending lakhs on the venues of the camps instead of using the money for the welfare of farmers, Kokri said.
“A single day function at a luxury marriage palace cost around 1.5 to 2 lakhs and with more arrangements, the sum could be even higher in some districts, which is a total waste of money. If they want to organise these camps, they must have done it at grain markets, where farmers are already visiting for the procurement process,” he said.
Kirti Kisan Union president Nirbhai Singh Dhudhike said that farmers are debt-ridden and instead of organising highprofile fairs, the government should work on implementing recommendations given by Dr Swaminathan Commission to increase the prices of crops.
“Most of the attendees were dealers of pesticides and insecticides, so it seems the function was only held in the name of farmers,” he added.
Moga chief agriculture officer, Pritpal Singh refused to comment on organising training camps at marriage palaces. He said that the department is organising these camps for awareness of farmers across the state.
Despite repeated calls, agriculture director Dr Gurvinder Singh did not respond.