Punjab govt ready for paddy procurement season

Chandigarh: Punjab chief secretary Anurag Verma reviewed the preparations for the paddy procurement process on Thursday by meeting with all the deputy commissioners.

The concerned procurement agencies and officials of the Food and Civil Supplies Department were instructed to complete all the arrangements for the process starting from October 1.

Verma said that due to the efforts of the Punjab government and lobbying in Mumbai, Punjab has been granted a cash credit limit. He said that the state government will purchase the farmers’ produce in the markets and ensure immediate payment to their bank accounts. He appealed to the farmers to bring paddy with up to 17 per cent moisture in the mandis so that their crop can be purchased immediately as per the procurement rules.

The chief secretary spoke to Vanita Sharma, who assured that no problem will be faced by the millers of Punjab during the paddy procurement season. He said that recently Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had assured to raise their issues before the central government in a meeting with the Punjab Rice Millers Association, after which he spoke to the Union minister of Food and Civil Supplies for delivery of rice to FCI. It was sought to give instructions to make necessary space.

During the meeting, director of Food and Civil Supplies Department, Puneet Goyal, informed that 5 lakh bales of paddy are required for the possible purchase of 185 lakh metric tonnes of paddy during the season, out of which the department has procured 4.74 lakh bales so far. The knots have been arranged and the arrangements for the remaining 35,000 other knots will also be completed soon.

Verma instructed all the DCs to arrange necessary basic facilities for the farmers

in the markets.