Ludhiana DC asks SDMs to ensure timely payment to farmers for wheat; Barnala farmers satisfied by procurement

Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma on Monday directed Sub Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) to ensure timely payment to the farmers along with smooth and hassle-free, procurement and lifting of their golden grains across the district during the ongoing procurement season.

While reviewing the procurement operations this morning, the Deputy Commissioner said that payment worth more than Rs 53.51 crore has been made to the farmers till yet.

He said that a total of 361168 MT of wheat has arrived in the grain markets across the district till Sunday out of which 334646 MT of wheat has been procured by various agencies.

Sharma said that the SDMs must visit grain markets along with officials from Food Supply and Mandi Board daily in their respective jurisdiction to oversee the operations of procurement and lifting of grains besides ensuring promptly payments to the farmers.

He categorically said that any sort of inordinate delay in the procurement of grains would be unwarranted, undesirable, and intolerable.

He said that the Sub Divisional Magistrates must ensure elaborate arrangements by involving the entire government machinery so that the golden harvest of the farmers is procured and lifted as soon as it arrives in the markets.

Sharma said that the fool-proof mechanism needs to be implemented for this procurement so that farmers do not face any sort of inconvenience in the grain markets.

The Deputy Commissioner further said that in the current season 9 lakh MT is expected to arrive in the grain markets.

Sharma said that around 108 permanent grain markets and 124 additional temporary purchase centers have been notified for the wheat procurement in the district.

Meanwhile, wheat procurement in Barnala district grain markets is going on in full swing with the wheat stock arriving in market being procured the same day. The procurement is being conducted amidst Covid-related precautions.

Till April 18, 2,08,443 MT of wheat had reached the district's grains markets. Farmer Mandeep Singh, son of Chainchal Singh from village Gumti had arrived in Gumti mandi with 50 quintals of his produce that was procured by evening. Expressing satisfaction over the procurement procedure, he said that the crop was being procured in a timely manner.

Farmer Sukhjinder Singh, son of Chamkaur Singh from village Pakho Kalan, said that he had brought his produce in the market in the morning and by same day evening it had been procured.

DFSC Atinder Kaur said that the moisture free crop was being procured timely in the grain markets. 1,50,591 MT had already been purchased from the total arriving in the market. Lifting of the same is also being

done timely. She appealed to the farmers to bring properly dried crops and follow Covid protocols.