Sunil Jakhar Slams Mann Govt Over Rain-Soaked Grain in Mandis

• by Akanksha Mishra
• 2026-10-11 21:12:00

A fierce political row has erupted in Punjab as unseasonal showers battered grain markets across the state, leaving thousands of quintals of harvested paddy soaking wet in open yards. Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar launched a scathing attack on the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) administration, accusing it of complete operational apathy and administrative failure in managing the Kharif procurement season. Jakhar emphasized that while the Central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi had already released the requisite financial allocations for smooth paddy lifting, the state government failed to provide basic tarpaulins, storage sheds, and logistics, leaving hard-working farmers exposed to heavy losses.

Rain Drenches Harvested Produce: Jakhar Accuses State of Administrative Paralysis

The unexpected downpour across Punjab’s mandis has triggered widespread anxiety among farmers and commission agents:

Open-Air Grains Soaked: Inadequate covered sheds across grain yards left newly brought paddy heaps submerged under rain pools, causing immediate moisture-level spikes that jeopardize direct procurement standards.

Failure to Shield Produce: Jakhar pointed out that despite repeated weather alerts, mandi boards and district procurement agencies failed to supply essential waterproof covers and drainage channels.

Protests Erupting Across Mandis: Farmers alongside local arthiyas (commission agents) have been forced to stage sit-ins and highway demonstrations, demanding immediate lifting and fair moisture allowances to save their damp produce.

Central Funds vs State Execution: Allegations of Exploitation and Arbitrary 'Cuts'

Targeting the ruling regime's procurement management, the BJP leader highlighted a stark divide between funding and ground-level execution:

Timely Central Outlay: Jakhar asserted that the Central government fulfilled its commitment by disbursing the full procurement credit limit upfront, meaning fund liquidity was never a constraint.

The 'Cut' Controversy: The former state BJP chief alleged that under the present governance model, farmers are being coerced into accepting unfair price deductions—termed arbitrary "cuts"—under the pretext of moisture damage caused by the state's own administrative negligence.

Absence of Senior Officials: Jakhar lamented that while growers braved the rain in waterlogged yards, senior administrative personnel and cabinet ministers remained conspicuously absent from the ground to address the crisis.

Fiery Social Media Rebuke: 'Shattered Dreams' in Punjab's Agricultural Belt

Taking to social media platforms, Jakhar issued a sharply worded critique questioning the priorities of the state leadership:

Shattered Rural Hopes: Jakhar stated that the sudden deluge did not merely soak the crop; it shattered the hopes and annual earnings of agrarian families who spent months toiling in the fields.

Priorities Under Scrutiny: In a biting reference to ongoing legal battles and political turbulence surrounding the state leadership, he urged the Chief Minister to step away from coordinating legal strategies for corruption cases and personally tour the crisis-hit mandis.

Call for Urgent Redressal: With more arrivals lined up for peak harvesting weeks, opposition leaders have demanded immediate, emergency procurement relaxations and rapid clearance of soaked grain stocks to prevent massive distress selling across Punjab.

Previous Post

Punjab will not bow down to atrocities… Arvind Kejriwal's big attack on ED action