Reiterate Punjab Government’s commitment to procuring every grain of farmers’ produce promptly and hassle-free
Over 3.83 lakh MT paddy arrives in Punjab mandis, more than 3.41 lakh MT already procured; Rs 188.09 crore payments made to farmers till Oct 4
Phagwara, October 5: Member Parliament Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal, along with Deputy Commissioner Akash Bansal on Monday morning inspected the paddy procurement arrangements at the Phagwara grain market and took stock of the ongoing procurement operations. During the visit, the MP interacted with farmers and officials and reviewed the arrangements for procurement, lifting, payment and other facilities being provided to farmers at the grain market.
Reiterating the Punjab Government’s commitment under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to ensuring a seamless, efficient and hassle-free paddy procurement season, Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal said that the state government was fully committed to lifting every grain of farmers’ produce promptly. He said that clear directions had been issued to the concerned officials to ensure that farmers do not face any inconvenience while bringing their produce to the grain markets.
Giving an overview of the procurement operations in the state, the MP said that till October 4, a total of 3,83,116.68 MT of paddy had arrived in grain markets across Punjab, out of which 3,41,081.32 MT had already been procured. He added that payments amounting to Rs 188.09 crore had also been made to farmers, ensuring the Government’s commitment towards prompt payments to the farmers.
Dr Chabbewal said that robust arrangements had been put in place across the state to ensure smooth procurement, timely lifting of procured paddy and prompt payments to farmers. He said that the administration and procurement agencies were working in close coordination to ensure that the procurement process remained streamlined and farmers were able to sell their produce without unnecessary delays. He further urged farmers to bring properly dried paddy to the grain markets so that procurement could be carried out smoothly and the quality of the produce could be maintained. He advised farmers to ensure that the moisture content of paddy remains within the prescribed limit.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Akash Bansal said that the district administration had made comprehensive arrangements to ensure smooth and hassle-free paddy procurement in Kapurthala district. He said that till October 4, a total of 42,289.99 MT of paddy had arrived in the grain markets of the district, out of which 40,677.79 MT had already been procured.
The Deputy Commissioner further informed that payments amounting to Rs 43.96 crore had been made to farmers in the district, thereby ensuring timely payment against their procured produce. He said that the administration was closely monitoring the procurement process and coordinating with the concerned agencies to resolve any issues promptly. He said that special focus was also being laid on the immediate lifting of procured food grains from the grain markets and added that robust arrangements had been put in place to ensure that the procured paddy does not remain stacked in the mandis for an extended period and that adequate space remains available for incoming produce.
The Deputy Commissioner urged farmers to bring paddy having moisture content of 17 per cent or below to the grain markets. He said that bringing dry and properly matured paddy would facilitate quality assessment, smooth procurement and timely lifting of the produce.
