Rs 1,547 crore disbursed to farmers for procuring wheat

Chandigarh, May 5 (UNI) The Haryana Government has disbursed a sum of Rs 1,547 crore to farmers for procuring 22.11 lakh metric tonnes of wheat till yesterday, Deputy Chief Minister Chander Mohan said here today.

He said that total 29.03 lakh metric tonnes of wheat arrived in the mandis out of which 22.11 metric tonnes of wheat has been procured by the six government procurement agencies during the rabi season.

Saying that the Food and Supplies Department had made the payment of Rs 343 crore to farmers so far, Mr Mohan said the government was providing Rs 650 per quintal to the farmers besides Rs 50 per quintal bonus to them.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that out of total procurement, Hafed had procured 8.33 lakh metric tonnes of wheat, Food and Supplies Department 4.90 lakh metric tonnes, Food Corporation of India 2.66 lakh metric tonnes, Haryana Agro Industries Corporation 2.36 lakh metric tonnes, Haryana Warehousing Corporation 2.15 lakh metric tonnes and CONFED had procured 1.67 lakh metric tonnes.

Mr Chander Mohan said that Kaithal district was still ahead in the state in the wheat arrival of 4.74 lakh metric tonnes, followed by Karnal 4.57 lakh metric tonnes, Fatehabad 3.71 lakh metric tonnes, Jind 3.55 lakh metric tonnes, Kurukshetra 3.45 lakh metric tonnes, Sirsa 3.32 lakh metric and Ambala 1.13 lakh metric tonnes.

He said that the payment of farmers was being made within 48 to 72 hours, and 354 mandis had been set up in the State for the smooth procurement of wheat.

He urged the farmers to bring the maximum grain to the mandis so that the Government could provide adequate wheat to the Central Pool.

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