Director, Food and Civil Supplies Anindita Mitra on Wednesday said Punjab Government is fully committed to ensure the successful completion of the wheat season and the farmers would not have to face any problem with regard to payments, lifting and gunny bags during the procurement season.
Mitra was taking stock of the procurement arrangements in the grain markets (mandis) of Hoshiarpur and Garhshankar. She said various procurement agencies have procured 89,64,198 metric tonnes of wheat in the mandis of the state.
She said out of the procured wheat, PUNGRAIN has procured 20,48,629 metric tonne, MARKFED 20,61,460 metric tonne, PUNSUP 16,66,522 metric tonne, Punjab State Warehouse Corporation 12,69,373 metric tonne whereas the traders have in private purchased 27,767 metric tonnes of wheat.
The Director added that today payments to the tune of Rs. 1479.97 crore have been made in Punjab whereas the commission agents (arhtiyas) have been paid Rs. 10856.66 crore for procured wheat till date. She said that the state government this time has ensured transparency in the transportation tender process attempting to make good the loss incurred to the state in transportation.
Mitra claimed that wherever the procurement is being done in timely manner, payments are being ensured within 48 hours. Apart from this, gunny bags would be made available and lifting is also being ensured in timely manner.
She said the state government has made adequate arrangements for storage of grains and no difficulty would be allowed to arise in this regard. She also added that direct lifting to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) in some mandis through 'Specials' is also being undertaken so as to make sure that there is no space constraint in the mandis. "The arrangements concerning wheat procurement made by the government are satisfactory and the government has instructed various officers to ensure that there are no hassles regarding procurement," she added.