Ludhiana, April 22:
The arhtiyas (commission agents) of district Ludhiana have thanked the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh led Punjab government for keeping them relevant in the ongoing wheat procurement by providing them the pay now facility. The arhtiyas said that the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme of the Union government was a move aimed to break the bond between the farmers and arhtiyas, but due to the intervention of Chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh and Punjab Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, they were able to sustain themselves.
Sukhminder Singh, owner of M/S Kulwinder Singh & Company in Dhamot grain market, Jagjit Singh, owner of M/S Jagjit Trading Company and Vinod Kumar, owner of M/S Ram Sarup Traders from Sahnewal thanked the Punjab government for standing rock solid with the arhtiyas at the time when the Union government was hard bent to break their years old bond with the farmers. They said that the Union government had announced to make direct payments to the farmers, which had led to resentment amongst the arhtiyas.
They said that with a minor modification on the Anaaj Kharid Portal made last year, the Arhtiyas will get a message on the portal that the amount of a farmer linked with him is ready for transfer. At this point, the Arhtiya will get an option to click on ‘pay now’ and the Arhtiyas will get to know about the payment of the farmers and thus get back the advance paid to these farmers.
It is pertinent to mention that now, the amount will come directly in the accounts of the farmers, but after the Arhtiyas has clicked a pay now button. The Arhtiyas have to click on the ‘Pay Now’ option within 48 hours, failing which the amount will be credited directly to the accounts of farmers in 72 hours.
Bharat Bhushan Ashu said that the Punjab Food Department has amended the procurement software so that the Arhtiyas will continue to be involved even in the direct payment process. He said that earlier also, the farmers were being paid directly in Punjab.
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