Grain market to get face-lift

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, April 21

The grain market in Kartarpur would get a facelift at a cost of Rs 2.34 crore. This was stated by Deputy Commissioner (DC) Varinder Kumar Sharma here on Saturday. Giving details during his visit to the local grain market today, the DC said out of the Rs 2.34 crore, Rs 1.14 crore would be spent on the concrete flooring of the auction platform under the main shed. Likewise, he said Rs 92.77 lakh would be spent on the flooring of the Auction Platform Number II in the open. Sharma said Rs 26.26 lakh would be spent on the repair and strengthening of roads within the grain market.

The basic idea was to further develop this market so that farmers could benefit from it. He said the entire expenditure to be made on the renovation of the grain market was aimed at facilitating the farmers while selling their produce in the grain market. The district administration has sent a detailed plan for the approval and the work on this ambitious project would be started after the rabi procurement season was over.

The Deputy Commissioner said the administration would make all-out efforts to complete the work before the coming kharif procurement season during which paddy would be procured from the market. He said with the completion of this work, the grain market would get a fresh look, besides getting a major improvement in its infrastructural development. Sharma reiterated the firm commitment of the state government to facilitate the farmers while selling their produce in the mandis/ grain markets. Prominent amongst other present on the occasion included Sub Divisional Magistrate Paramveer Singh, District Mandi Officer Varinder Khera, District Food and Supply Controller TS Chopra and others. During the ongoing rabi season, the district administration has yet procured 2,17,924 metric tonnes of wheat in various grain markets/mandis of Jalandhar.

Sharma said since the starting of the procurement of grains in the district, 2,31,804 metric tones of wheat had arrived in the mandis across the district, out of which 2,17,924 metric tonnes had been purchased by various agencies. Meanwhile, today 45,954 metric tonnes of wheat had arrived in the district, out of which 43,830 metric tonnes was purchased by various procurement agencies. Similarly, Sharma said 1,29,429 metric tonnes of wheat was purchased till April 19, out of which 83,855 metric tonnes had been lifted so far. He said so far, payment worth Rs 180.29 crore had been made to farmers.