Sangrur mandis not yet ready for wheat farmers

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, March 30

With wheat procurement set to begin on April 1, several grain markets in the district are yet to be cleaned. Besides, the mandis lack basic amenities such as water and electricity. The administration, though, claims that everything will be in place by the evening of March 31. But after a visit to the grain markets today, it seems that the administration has a tough job at hand.

At the Sangrur grain market, trucks are parked in sheds. And the mandi can be mistaken for a “guashala”, for the presence of stray cattle in large numbers. Besides, the place has not been cleaned for long.

In villages, grain markets lack drinking water, bathrooms and electricity. At the purchase centre in Makraud Sahib village, the presence of cow dung cakes and overgrowth of grass point to the authorities’ failure in cleaning the place. Similar is the story of the grain market in Chhajli.

“The claims of the authorities remain on paper. Not a single centre out of 28 in Lehra block have been cleaned to date in spite of allotting a tender for it last month. We request the CM to take action against officers,” said Dharminder Pashore, senior vice-president, Lehra block of the BKU (Ekta Ugrahan). District Mandi Officer Surinder Kumar confirmed all grain markets were yet to be cleaned. “All SDMs will take action if there is any problem,” said DC APS Virk.