9 procurement centres set up to ease rush at grain markets

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 16

The district administration has set up nine temporary procurement centres at rice mills for the purchase of wheat under the public distribution scheme (PDS) during the current season. There are 54 regular grain markets in the district.

The objective of setting up the temporary procurement centres is to reduce rush at the regular grain markets. Administration officials said the number of temporary procurement centres could be increased according to the need at a later stage.

The wheat under the PDS will be purchased at a MSP of Rs1,925 per quintal. District mandi officials said procurement targets by government agencies, including Pungrain, Markfed, Punsup, Punjab Warehouse and Food Corporation of India (FCI), had already been fixed.

The Deputy Commissioner has also asked representatives of all thegovernment procurement agencies to remain present at the grain markets and ensure that the procured grain is lifted at the earliest.

Giving relaxation in view of the harvesting season, the administration has already allowed combine harvester operators to harvest fields from 6 am to 7 pm. The administration has also stated that at a time not more than four workers will accompany a combine harvester.

In view of the demand for machinery, the administration has also allowed custom machinery hiring centres to operate from 6 am to 10 am. Farmers and farm labourers have also been allowed to leave for their farms from 6 am to 9 am. Meanwhile, the returning time has been fixed from 7 pm to 9 pm.

Meanwhile, no wheat arrived at the grain markets in the district on the second day of procurement on Thursday. Agriculture experts have advised farmers not to harvest wheat fields unless the grains are fully ripen and the moisture content is within permissible limits. They said as procurements agencies would not buy grains with more moisture, the farmers would have to face trouble.