Chandigarh/Khanna/Mullanpur (Ludhiana), April 16: Punjab Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Minister Mr Bharat Bhushan Ashu today assured the farmers that every single food grain would be procured. He said that the farmers should not panic as he is personally monitoring the entire procurement process himself.
Mr Ashu said this while speaking to media persons during his visit to Grain Market, Khanna today. Fatehgarh Sahib MP Dr Amar Singh, Khanna MLA Mr Gurkirat Singh Kotli, Director Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department Punjab Mrs Anindita Mitra, Punjab Mandi Board vice chairman Mr Vijay Kalra, besides several others.
He informed that to facilitate the farmers and to ensure that the wheat crop is procured in a hassle free manner, the number of purchase centres have been increased from 1,820 to more than 3,900. He said that the Deputy Commissioners have also been empowered to increase the number of purchase centres as per requirement.
He informed that Capt Amarinder Singh led Punjab government has made all the necessary arrangements with respect to procurement of wheat and during the current season, the procurement agencies as well as the FCI would procure wheat on the fixed MSP of Rs. 1925. He also added that the Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Department of the State has expressed the possibility of the arrival of 135 lakh MT wheat in view of which, the shares/targets of procurement of wheat have been fixed between various agencies such as Pungrain 26 percent (35.10), Markfed 23.50 percent (31.72), Punsup 21.50 percent (29.02), Warehouse 14 percent (18.90) and FCI 15 percent (20.25).
Mr Bharat Bhushan Ashu said that token system has been introduced in mandis of state so as to enable the farmers to systematically bring their wheat. Apart from this, the social distancing norms are being enforced in the mandis, in accordance with which box signs of 30 ft x 30 ft have been marked at 2 metres distance. The wheat is being unloaded in this area only and further, the bidding time for wheat is between 10 am to 6 pm.
Mr. Ashu also added that the labourers have been provided with masks by the contractor of transportation in order to protect them from COVID-19. The procurement agencies and Mandi Board officials are also ensuring that the labourers remain in good health. The Arhtiyas are providing sanitisers to the labour as well as the farmers, besides all persons in the mandi have been asked to wear masks.
The Minister also assured that all farmers would be made payments within 48 hours. He informed that the wheat procurement process is going on smoothly in the state and would continue till June 15, 2020.
