Punjab Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister, Lal Chand Kataruchak on Saturday held a meeting with senior officers of 4 districts including Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Amritsar and Tarn Taran at Panchayat Bhawan Gurdaspur and reviewed the wheat procurement in Majha area.

 Presiding over the meeting, the Minister  said that the Punjab Government has made extensive arrangements for the convenience of more than 8 lakh farmers to conduct the ongoing wheat procurement season in the state in a smooth manner. He said that a target of 124 lakh metric tonnes of wheat procurement has been set in Punjab and the State Government has already obtained a cash credit limit of Rs. 28,894 crore to ensure a hassle free procurement season. He further added that in addition to setting up 1864 procurement centres (mandis) across the state, around 600 temporary procurement centres have also been established in view of the bumper crop.

 The Minister reiterated the Punjab Government’s commitment to procure every single wheat grain and said that payment to the farmers will be ensured within 24 hours of procurement of the crop. He instructed all the officers and employees involved in procurement arrangements that they will not take leave without any valid reason and also they will remain present at the mandis and their respective stations till the season is over.

For the convenience of the farmers, special arrangements have been made for clean and pure drinking water, bathrooms, electricity and cleanliness in the mandis, said Kataruchak, adding apart from this, arrangement of first-aid medical kits in the mandis would also be ensured. He mentioned that the Arhtiyas have been asked to make necessary arrangements for tarpaulins etc.