Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Friday arrived at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is expected to urge him to withdraw the centre’s letter on postponing the paddy procurement in the state from October 1.

This was CM Channi‘s first meeting with PM Modi after the senior Congress leader took oath as Punjab chief minister recently.

Channi is also likely to meet senior Congress leaders during his visit to the national capital amid the ongoing tumult in the party’s Punjab unit, NDTV reported.

Also read: Will reciprocate: Navjot Sidhu to meet CM Charanjit Singh Channi today

On Thursday, Channi urged the Centre to withdraw its letter on postponing the paddy procurement in the state from October 1. Paddy procurement usually commences from October 1.

Farmers issue was top of the agenda during the meeting. After the meeting, Channi said, I asked the PM to resolve the matter of farmers’ protest and resume dialogue with the protesting farmers. I demanded that the three laws should be withdrawn. 

He had also sought the prime minister’s personal intervention in advising the ministry concerned to withdraw its letter forthwith, allowing the state to start paddy procurement from October 1 instead of October 11.

The Centre has postponed procurement of Kharif paddy in Punjab and Haryana till October 11 as the crop maturity is delayed owing to recent heavy rains. Crop procurement is undertaken by the central government’s nodal agency Food Corporation of India along with state agencies.