Payment of 70% crop procured done: DC

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 27

With weather becoming favourable for harvesting of wheat crop, arrival of produce has increased in grain markets. Officials said a total of 2,57,114 metric tonne (MT) of crop has arrived in mandis, out of which 2,50,918 MT has been procured by different government agencies.

Officials said, Pungrain has procured 80,587 MT of produce. Markfed has purchased 65,926 MT, Punsup 48,955 MT, Punjab Warehouse 35,292 MT and the FCI 20,158 MT.

After a meeting to review procurement of wheat crop, Deputy Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Khaira said a total of Rs 201.14 crore has been disbursed to farmers.

He said payment of around 70.17 per cent of the total crop procured by the agencies have been made to farmers.

He added that Pungrain has made a payment for 61.19 per cent of stock procured by it while Markfed has paid for 64.64 per cent, Punjab Warehouse for 65.35 per cent, and the FCI for 8.56 per cent.

Khaira said lifting of crop from grain markets was being done instantly, so that farmers do not face shortage of space for unloading their harvested crop. He said adequate measures were being taken to protect farmers and labourers from the virus.

KMSC’s indefinite protest against unsettled police issues begins

Tarn Taran: Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee(KMSC), Punjab, taking serious concern over not resolving the issues related to farmers in grain markets and alleged police atrocities has launched its ‘Pakka Morcha’ (dharna for indefinite period) outside the District Administration Complex here. Women farmers and labourers also participated in the dharna. Sukhwinder Singh Sabhra, district president of the committee, while addressing the protesters said the state and Central governments had failed to provide gunny bags in the grain markets following which the procurement of wheat was affected. He also alleged that the payment and lifting of the procured wheat was not up to the satisfaction. He alleged the police were working as a political wing of the ruling party politicians and people with different political thoughts were being victimised by booking them in false cases. He said the organisation had taken up the issues with police officials number of times but to no avail. Harpreet Singh Sidhwan, Satnam Singh Manochahal and Fateh Singh Piddi also addressed the protesters. The administration has not invited the organisation for dialogue to resolve the issue. OC