Rain soaks paddy, Basmati stocks at Bhagtanwala

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 12

Rainfall in the past 24 hours in the area caused damage to the paddy stocks lying at the district’s biggest Bhagatanwala grain market here. The rain water completely inundated the premises, causing great harm to the hundreds of paddy bags lying in the open in the grain market. While a few of the stacks were covered with tarpaulin, many were lying in the open.

Commission agents said the Mandi Board had not constructed enough sheds to protect the crops from rains. Only a small portion of the mandi has sheds and it is not enough to cover the huge quantity of produce coming to the market.

The commission agents complained about the deteriorating condition of the existing sheds. District Mandi Officer Swaran Singh said, “The entire stock purchased by the government procurement agencies has already been lifted. The stock lying in the market is that of private buyers.” He said that a project for the repair of sheds and the berm had been passed and work would commence soon.