Punjab farmers to be paid within 48 hours for their wheat

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Khanna, Ludhiana, Apr 11 (UNI) Launching the procurement of wheat in Asia's biggest grain market here today, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today announced that payment to the farmers would be made within 48 hours of their selling their produce.

He also ordered that purchase agencies and the Mandi Board would conduct auction twice a day to ensure quick and transparent procurement of wheat.

Addressing a gathering of farmers and commission agents (arhtiyas) at the grain market after inspecting the auction of a heap of wheat, Mr Badal said that SAD-BJP government was committed to lift every grain brought to the markets in the state. He said that earlier farmers were made payments for their produce within 72 hours, but this time frame had now been reduced to 48 hours.

Earlier only one auction of wheat was conducted in the grain markets and that too late in the evening and this caused lot of harassment to the farmers. Now, one auction would be held in the morning and the other in the afternoon.

He said that the state government was seriously looking for proposals for a crop insurance scheme, to fully compensate the farmers for the loss caused due to natural calamities.

Referring to a survey conducted by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Mr Badal said that 82 per cent of the farmers were trapped in the debt burden. This was mainly because the MSP of crops like wheat and paddy was not commensurate with the ever increasing prices of agricultural inputs including fertiliSers, seeds, diesel and pesticides, he added.

Punjab had been pleading that the Union Government should link the MSP with the wholesale price index, he added.

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