CM reiterates commitment to lift entire produce

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 27

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today directed the officials of the state government to make all-out efforts to ensure smooth, timely and hassle-free procurement of grains from farmers during the ongoing procurement season.

Presiding over a high-level meeting here to review the ongoing procurement in the state here, the Chief Minister had detailed interactions with the officials on the issues pertaining to procurement, moisture content, damage and payment of the wheat crop, an official spokesman said here.

He asked the officials of the state government particularly the Managing Directors of the state procurement agencies to personally visit the grain markets for ensuring that farmers do not face any sort of problem in selling their harvest.

“This will facilitate the farmers in selling their harvest without any sort of undue harassment,” Badal said. On Tuesday last, Congress leader former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had blamed the Akali-BJP government in Punjab for the alleged distress sale of wheat by farmers as the state agencies “failed” to procure the produce on time.

Two days back, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Partap Singh Bajwa had also said the party would intensify protests “if the government fails to solve the issue of non-procurement of crops.”

It was apprised in the meeting today that to ensure prompt and hassle free procurement, the state Food and Civil Supplies Department had already issued the wheat procurement policy for the current season. The officials also apprised the Chief Minister that barring some pockets the work of procurement was going on smoothly.