Punjab withdraws order allowing private dealers to sell PR 126 at MRP

FARIDKOT: The Punjab agriculture department on Tuesday withdrew its order to allow seed dealers to sell the PR 126 short-duration variety of paddy crop on “unregulated” maximum retail price (MRP) following opposition from farmers’ unions that demanded the state government to provide the seeds directly to agriculturists and check its hoarding and black marketing by private players.

During a meeting of seed dealers with director agriculture Gurwinder Singh on the department’s order to crack down on the black marketing of the PR126 seeds in Chandigarh on Monday, the director had verbally allowed the dealers to sell the seeds at Rs 100 per kg, which is around the same price as the MRP, a department official said.

Following the meeting, joint director agriculture Avtar Singh issued the order to allow sale of PR 126 variety of paddy at MRP.

Secretary agriculture, Dilraj Singh Sadhawalia ordered director Gurwinder to issue all communications to districts and restrain all the other officials from issuing instructions on the same.

“The order issued by joint director agriculture Avtar Singh to allow sale of PR 126 variety on MRP by private players has been withdrawn immediately. These orders were issued without the approval of the director. I am issuing a show-cause notice to the joint director regarding this,” Sadhawalia said.