Chandigarh: The Election Commission (EC) has directed the state government to release Rs 5 crore as the price stabilization fund to combat the potato glut.
“Provisions of the model code of conduct would not be relaxed, unlike the previous elections”, EC told the state.
Managing Director of Punjab Agro Industries Corporation (PAIC), Kahan Singh Pannu said that after the EC’s nod, they have sent their budgetary demand to the state Finance Department. They are hopeful that the money will be released before the end of this week.
“Most of the money will be used to provide subsidy on transportation. We have roped in associations of growers to execute our plans. Since the state government had allocated Rs 10 crore as the price stabilisation fund in the current financial year’s budget, we can again approach the EC for using the rest of the amount,” Pannu added.
Potato growers are staring at huge losses as the crop is selling at about Rs 3 per kg in the wholesale market, even as its production cost is around Rs 5 per kg. The state’s Director General of School Education had recently ordered government schools to increase the use of potatoes in the mid-day-meal offered to over 19 lakh students.