Each day, just 100 farmers to visit mandi for procurement

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 8

Haryana will regulate and stagger procurement by observing social-distancing norms during the current rabi season beginning April 15. Only 100 farmers will visit a particular grain market in a day after issuance of e-gate pass to them.

This was decided in a meeting through video conferencing headed by Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar today to review the preparedness for the upcoming procurement.

Haryana Agriculture Minister JP Dalal participated in the video conferencing from Gurugram while Cooperation Minister Dr Banwari Lal, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture, Sanjeev Kaushal and Additional Chief Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumers Affairs Pranab Kishore Das participated from Chandigarh.

“To regulate and stagger the procurement, the market committees will ensure that the agriculture produce will enter the mandis upon issuance of e-gate pass only to the farmers who have registered on the Meri Fasal Mera Byora portal. Those who have not registered can still do so till April 19. The produce of farmers from outside the state will not be purchased till further instructions in this regard are issued,” said Kaushal.

He said that directions have been issued that only 50 farmers be allowed to enter a grain market from 8 am to 2 pm on a given day and another 50 be allowed to enter from 2 pm to 6 pm to maintain social distancing.

During the procurement operations, to minimise the health risk to those engaged in operations and that the premises that farmers have to visit does not become a mode of transmission, the market committees will ensure that sanitary protocols and safety procedures are adopted.

Social distancing of at least 1m is to be maintained in the grain markets during procurement operations.

Kaushal said that instructions have been issued that at the time of auction, only those essentially required to be there should be allowed.

Similarly, the arhtiyas have also been told to maintain a distance of at least 1m from labourers during work and a distance of 2m when they have to sleep, sit or take rest.

“Detailed instructions have been issued to the market committees for the prevention of the spread of Covid during procurement operations. These instructions are non-exhaustive and do not cover all the situations which may emerge. The market committees have been asked read those in conjunction with latest relevant advisories issued by the central government in this regard,” said Kaushal.

Licences of Arhtiyas to remain valid till June 30

• The Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board (HSAMB) has extended the renewal date for licences of arhtiyas of both grain markets and vegetable markets. Existing licenses will be considered valid till June 30 and renewal will be done from July 1 to 31.
• Raj Kumar Beniwal, HSAMB Chief Marketing Enforcement Officer said: “Generally, licences expire on March 31 and arhtiyas have to get them renewed in April and up to May 30 with grace period, but due to Covid pandemic, we have extended the renewal date. Existing licenses will be considered valid till June 30.”
• Beniwal said: “This step has been initiated to avoid mass gathering at the market committee offices and to maintain social distancing. Any commission agent can get his licence renewed after June 30.”