New Delhi: Punjab Power Minister Harbhajan Singh on Tuesday urged farmers to adopt a staggered schedule for sowing paddy to tackle power shortage in the state. The minister gave his suggestions during a meeting with representatives of various farmers' bodies.

Earlier, farmer leaders had rejected the state government's proposed formula for paddy sowing and electricity supply schedule.

At Tuesday's meeting, the minister said the adoption of a staggered schedule will resolve issues like shortage of labour and manure, besides power shortage, according to an official release.

"If farmers have any grudge in this regard then we are ready to constitute a committee for an amicable solution," Singh said.

He said, "If farmers follow the guidelines of agriculture experts then yield will not be affected with direct sowing."

On May 8, sixteen farmers' bodies had rejected the power supply schedule for the upcoming paddy sowing season issued by the state government and had asserted that they would start transplanting paddy plants from June 10.

The state government had decided to allow paddy sowing in a staggered manner, beginning from June 18, with an aim to lessen the burden on electricity and conserve underground water.

From June 18, paddy transplantation is scheduled to start in Sangrur, Barnala, Malerkotla, Ludhiana, Patiala and Fatehgarh Sahib districts, while sowing will commence from June 22 in Bathinda, Mansa, Moga, Faridkot, Ferozepur and Fazilka.

From June 24, paddy sowing will start in Mohali, SBS Nagar, Kapurthala, Muktsar, and from June 26, it will start in Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts.

The electricity supply to farmers for irrigation will start from the dates fixed for the paddy sowing.

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