Chandigarh, May 11:
The Punjab Government led by the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stands fully committed to ensure hassle free wheat procurement operations during the current Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) and safeguarding the interests of all the stakeholders.
Disclosing this here today while chairing a meeting to review procurement process, the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Mr. Lal Chand Kataruchak directed the officials of Food Department to ensure that the payments to Mandi Labourers, Handling Labourers and Transporters, which are worth nearly 600 Crores, must be released in timely manner to them.
Apart from this, nearly 700 Sub Mandi yards and Temporary mandis have closed till today after successful completion of procurement operations in such mandis, said the Minister adding that till May 10th, more than 123 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) of wheat has been procured and payments to the tune of more than Rs. 24000 crores have been released to the farmers. He expressed satisfaction that despite inclement weather, there was no delay in releasing payments to the farmers.
The Minister further directed that all District level officials be asked to keep a strict vigil on the procurement operations in their respective areas and ensure that the farmers do not face any difficulty in selling their produce in the mandies.