Punjab: Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh reaffirms commitment to buy maize at MSP

Chandigarh, Oct 6 (PTI) Punjab Congress leader and Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh on Monday reaffirmed his commitment to buy maize crop from farmers at the minimum support price of Rs 2,400 per quintal.

"I had assured the farmers that maize procurement will be ensured at the time of harvest. Today, I am here to fulfil that promise," said Singh.

"We will lift every grain of maize that farmers have cultivated, and the crop will be procured at a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 2,400 per quintal, in line with government specifications," said Singh, whose family is into sugar business.

The MLA intends to buy maize for ethanol production.

Singh said he had a list of farmers who had sown maize this season and had also got a list from the state government.

He further his staff members will reach out to every farmer who is harvesting maize and will lift his crop at the MSP.

Asking farmers to shift from water-guzzling paddy to maize, the MLA had earlier announced to buy this crop which has uses in ethanol making and cattle and poultry feed.

Singh said he is working to guide both farmers and the Punjab government in a new direction.

"We must look ahead. The state needs leadership that not only supports farmers today but also safeguards their future," he further said.

Singh also expressed concern over the falling yield of paddy in Punjab.

"Loose smut disease has affected at least 25 per cent of the paddy crop this season. Farmers are going to suffer losses. We need to rethink our cropping patterns," he said.

The MLA said that his son and Independent MLA from Sultanpur Lodhi Rana Inder Partap Singh raised the matter in the Vidhan Sabha and hoped that the government will take corrective steps to support farmers.

Drawing attention to Punjab's alarming groundwater depletion, he stressed the need for urgent action.

"The Central Ground Water Board has warned that Punjab could turn into a desert in the next 25 years if subsoil water is not recharged. In some areas, water levels have dropped as low as 500 feet. On average, the level is falling by one metre every year," he said.

The Kapurthala MLA proposed using floodwater from catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu to recharge groundwater.

"Floodwater must be seen as a resource. The excess water flowing into dams from these regions during monsoon should be used to replenish our subsoil reserves," he said.

He called for the constitution of an expert committee comprising top scientists from India and abroad to undertake satellite mapping and flood pattern analysis.

"We need to know how much water is coming from which region, which region has suffered and how to manage and regulate it. The committee should submit a detailed report to help us take corrective steps," he added.

Citing recurring floods in 2019, 2023, and now in 2025, he said Punjab must prepare for future climate-induced disasters.

"The recent floods have shown that we need a robust system. Whether it's water release from Ranjit Sagar Dam (RSD) or sudden inflows from 'khuds' in the catchment areas, there must be a well-planned mechanism in place," said Rana. PTI CHS NB NB