Says Punjab Government is committed to purchasing every single grain from farmers
Jalandhar News (Pawan Dhupar): Horticulture, Freedom Fighters, and Defence Services Welfare Minister Mohinder Bhagat, today initiated the procurement of paddy at Dana Mandi, Jalandhar, while reiterating the Punjab Government’s commitment under the leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann to purchase every single grain of paddy.
He said that the Punjab Government would ensure smooth and hassle-free procurement of paddy so that farmers can be supported in every possible way during this difficult time caused by floods.
Farmer Jagdeep Singh from village Nauli expressed his gratitude to the Punjab Government for the immediate purchase of his paddy brought to Dana Mandi, Jalandhar, and for the proper arrangements.
Speaking with farmers, the Cabinet Minister said that no farmer would face any difficulty in the mandis as the Punjab Government had ensured robust arrangements. He also directed the District Mandi Officer and DFSC to make sure that there was no shortage of facilities for farmers and labourers in the mandis. He added that he would continuously review the procurement arrangements.
Mr. Bhagat further said that despite the challenges caused by the recent floods, foolproof arrangements have been made across Punjab to ensure that farmers did not face any problem in selling their crop. He informed that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for paddy had been fixed at ₹2,389 per quintal and that the government had already secured a Cash Credit Limit (CCL) of ₹15,000 crore for September and ₹27,000 crore for October. He also mentioned that adequate arrangements had been made for gunny bags to prevent inconvenience to farmers.
The Cabinet Minister assured that lifting and payments would be carried out simultaneously, and the payment for the procured crop would be transferred directly into the farmers’ bank accounts. He also directed officials of the Food and Civil Supplies Department, Mandi Board, and District Administration to personally monitor operations to ensure transparency and efficiency in the mandis.
The Minister appealed to farmers to bring only fully dried paddy to the mandis, as high moisture content could hinder procurement.
On this occasion, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Amaninder Kaur,
Chairman Improvement Trust Ramanik Singh Randhawa, senior AAP leader Rajwinder Kaur Thiara, Dinesh Dhall, Nitin Kohli, DMO Arvinder Singh, DFSC Harveen Kaur, and officers from various departments were also present.
