2 weeks Ago
Punjab minister Lal Chand Kataruchak on Friday said the state government has made extensive preparations to facilitate over eight lakh farmers during the ongoing wheat procurement season. The food, civil supplies and consumer affairs minister was chairing a review meeting with senior officials from four districts -- Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar. Speaking on the sidelines of the meeting, Kataruchak said Punjab is set to witness a bumper wheat crop this year and the procurement target has been set at 124 lakh MT.
He said the state government has secured a cash credit limit of ₹ 28,894 crore for ensuring smooth operations throughout the season. He said, “99% of the required ‘bardana’, or sacks, has been arranged and sufficient space and crates are available.” The government has established 1,864 purchase centres (mandis) across the state, he added.
In light of the bumper crop, about 600 temporary purchase centres have also been set up, Kataruchak said, assuring farmers that they will receive payments at the minimum support price of ₹ 2,425 per quintal within 24 hours of procurement. During the review meeting, Kataruchak examined facilities such as cleanliness, drinking water availability, lighting and sheds at the mandis. On district-specific procurement targets, he said over 3.
14 lakh MT wheat is expected to arrive in Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar will get 5.25 lakh MT, 3.61 lakh MT and 2.
64 lakh MT grains, respectively..
