Wheat piles up in Muktsar mandis as lifting lags

The slow pace of wheat lifting in Muktsar district has emerged as a cause of concern for farmers, as nearly 60 per cent of the procured wheat is still lying in the mandis.

So far this season, a total of 6,00,253 metric tonnes (MT) of wheat has arrived at the procurement centers across the district.

Of this, 5,79,288 MT has been purchased, but only 2,35,120 MT has been lifted so far, leaving a massive 3,44,168 MT of the purchased wheat still lying in the mandis.

The officials, however, attribute the backlog to the sudden surge in wheat arrival over the past few days.

Notably, wheat arrival had started from April 14 in the mandis.

Sukhwinder Singh, District Food and Civil Supplies Controller (DFCSC), has repeatedly said, "The situation has occurred primarily due to the heavy arrival of wheat in a short span. Efforts are underway to speed up the lifting process."

Further, in a rather unusual and concerning development, wheat was recently seen being unloaded and packed in gunny bags at a cremation ground at Badal village, as the focal point had reached its full capacity, forcing authorities to use adjoining areas for temporary storage.

Notably, Badal is the native village of SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal.

After The Tribune highlighted this issue, Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal condemned the state government and appealed for arrangements to ease the situation for farmers.   Meanwhile, procurement agencies and transporters are reportedly working to increase the pace of lifting.