Punjab Government Ensures Smooth Wheat Procurement with 1864 Centres, 24-Hour Payment Guarantee

• Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister reviews wheat procurement preparations in Doaba region

• Said, the government is committed to ensure payment to farmers within 24 hours of purchase of the crop

• 124 lakh metric tonnes of wheat is expected to arrive in 1864 mandis of the state

Jalandhar (The Uttam Hindu): Punjab Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak today said that the Punjab Government led by Chief Minister S Bhagwant Singh Mann has made extensive arrangements to facilitate more than 8 lakh farmers for smooth conduct of the ongoing wheat procurement season in the state. The Cabinet Minister was chairing a review meeting with senior officers of four districts—Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar. Talking to media, the Minister said that Punjab is likely to have a bumper wheat crop this year and a target has been set to procure 124 lakh metric tonnes of wheat. He informed that the Government has already secured cash credit limit of Rs. 28,894 crore for wheat procurement to ensure smooth flow of the entire season. He also informed that 99% of the required gunny bags have been arranged and necessary space and crates have also been arranged for proper storage.

Keeping in view the heavy arrival of the crop, the Punjab Government has set up 1864 procurement centres (mandis) across the state where farmers will be able to sell their wheat crop. In view of the bumper crop, about 600 temporary procurement centres have also been set up. Mr. Kataruchak assured the farmers that they will receive payment within 24 hours of procurement of the crop. He informed that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) has been fixed by the Government at Rs. 2425 per quintal. Giving details of the procurement targets of the districts, he said that Hoshiarpur is expected to receive over 3.14 lakh metric tonnes of wheat, while Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar are expected to receive 5.25 lakh metric tonnes, 3.61 lakh metric tonnes and 2.64 lakh metric tonnes of the crop respectively.

The Cabinet Minister reiterated the commitment of the Punjab Government to procure every grain brought by farmers for sale and said that any kind of negligence in the procurement process will not be tolerated. He also mentioned the efforts made by the Government in the last three years to streamline the procurement processes of wheat and paddy. During the review meeting, Kataruchak also reviewed the facilities available for farmers in the mandis—such as sanitation, availability of drinking water, lighting and sheds, etc. He directed the officials to remain present in their respective mandis throughout the season so that farmers do not face any problems. Expressing pride in the state's ability to run the procurement process on such a large scale in a systematic manner, he said that Punjab is the food provider of the country.