Badal asks officers to activate wheat procurement process

Chandigarh, Apr 19 (UNI) Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today instructed the government procurement agencies to maintain complete coordination with the administration to ensure prompt and hassle free procurement of wheat.

Reviewing the progress of procurement in a high level meeting here, the Chief Minister asked the Managing Directors (MDs) of procurement agencies to ensure lifting of wheat within 24 hours of arrival in the 'mandis' and payment to the farmers within 48 hours.

He also instructed secretary of the Mandi Board to provide all facilities and infrastructure to the farmers in the grain markets.

Mr Badal also asked the MDs to constantly tour all the grain markets and carry out surprise checks till the completion of the procurement process. He added that it was necessary to ensure transparency in the system of procurement.

''The interests of the farmers are foremost to us and it was our responsibility to provide them all facilities.'' the Chief Minister told the officers.

Giving the progress of the procurement till date, Principal Secretary, Food and Civil Supplies, Mrs Tejinder Kaur informed that till date 27.29 lakh tonnes of wheat has been procured in Punjab out of which 24.90 lakh tonnes had been procured by government agencies. Private traders had purchased 2.38 lakh tonnes.

Mrs Kaur said due to late ripening and maturity of wheat and also because of manual harvesting by farmers, the arrival of wheat in the mandis had been delayed as compared to last year.

She assured that Punjab was all set to achieve the target of 145 lakh tonnes of wheat including five lakh tonnes by the private traders.

UNI