Chandigarh, Mar 28 (PTI) The Congress on Friday targeted the AAP government in the Punjab Assembly, alleging paddy growers in the Majha region were "looted" and there was a "scam" of Rs 4,000 crore as their crop was sold at a lower price during the last season.

However, Cabinet Minister Aman Arora trashed the charges, daring the opposition party to come up with a single complaint from farmers in this regard.

During the Zero Hour on the concluding day of the Budget Session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha here, Congress MLA and former minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa alleged that paddy farmers of the Majha region were "looted". He said the crop was sold from Rs 1,700 a quintal to a maximum of Rs 2,100 per quintal.

"There was a scam of around Rs 4,000 crore. Paddy was bought by Punjab's agencies and farmers did not get full payment but the full invoice was issued.

"Who embezzled the balance money? Whether the government will order an inquiry into it. A big corruption took place," he alleged.

He sought a top-level inquiry into it.

"People say the money perhaps went to Delhi and spent in elections. The government should make its position clear," he alleged.

Arora stood up and said as far as he knew, the CCL (cash credit limit) funds were credited into the bank accounts of farmers according to the minimum support price (MSP) following the purchase of the crop.

"I inquired from (Food Supplies Minister Lal Chand) Kataruchak. There has not been a single complaint from any farmer in this regard and received by the government or the department," said Arora.

He asked Bajwa if he had come across any such complaint.

When Tript Rajinder Bajwa tried to interrupt, Arora said, "Let me speak." He asked him if he has come across any such complaint.

"If any farmer sold his crop at a lesser price with higher moisture content to a rice seller, then how will the government come to know about it unless there is a written complaint," asked the minister.

Arora asked Tript Rajinder Bajwa not to make such statements.

Bajwa then asked the Speaker to form a House committee in this regard.

Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa then rose from his seat and said, "What Tript Rajinder has said is absolutely correct. I will suggest that a House committee be formed and if anyone has been looted, it will come before the committee. Let us have a fair inquiry into it." Arora then said for forming the House committee, there should be at least a complaint with the government.

"There is no single written complaint with the government," said Arora.

Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan said in any case, there is a committee on agriculture and the issue can be brought before it.

Congress MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh lashed out at the AAP government for evicting farmers from the Shambhu and Khanauri border.

In a police crackdown on March 19, several farmer leaders were detained when they were returning from a meeting with a central delegation led by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Chandigarh.

Congress MLA Pargat Singh asked the treasury benches whether the knowledge-sharing agreement was continuing with the Delhi government or if it had been cancelled.

In 2022, the knowledge-sharing agreement (KSA) was signed between the then Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Singh Mann. At present, the BJP is in power in Delhi. PTI CHS KSS KSS

Alleged procurement payment shortfall prompts demand for inquiry into paddy procurement and farmer payments under MSP. Allegations in the Punjab Assembly contend that Majha paddy growers suffered a procurement payment shortfall despite invoices issued at higher amounts, prompting calls for a top level inquiry into unaccounted funds under the MSP procurement process. The government replied that CCL funds were credited to farmers' bank accounts per MSP and that no written complaints exist, while legislators sought formation or use of an Assembly agriculture committee to investigate the claims.