Arrange tarpaulins at mandis to protect wheat crop: DC

Reaffirming the state government’s commitment to protecting the crop of farmers from damage due to adverse weather, Deputy Commissioner Dr. Himanshu Aggarwal instructed officials to ensure proper arrangements such as tarpaulins in all district mandis to protect wheat from getting wet. He said since the weather has been inclement in recent days, preparations should be made promptly. He warned that any negligence would not be tolerated.

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The directions come amid a heavy spell of rain again and light showers in Jalandhar today as well.

Providing information about the procurement process, Dr Aggarwal said wheat procurement is continuing smoothly in district mandis and till yesterday, 4,89,586 metric tonnes of wheat had been procured.

The DC said 4,95,326 metric tonnes of wheat had arrived in the mandis, of which 4,89,586 MT was procured. Specifically, Pungrain procured 1,59,967 MT, Markfed 1,33,969 MT, Punsup 1,09,803 MT, Punjab State Warehousing Corporation 55,863 MT, FCI 25,601 MT, and private traders 4,382 MT.

Dr Aggarwal added that payments were being made promptly for the procured crop and Rs 1,152 crore has already been transferred to farmers' bank accounts.

He said in addition to 79 permanent mandis, 23 temporary ones have been set up in the district to handle the bumper wheat yield smoothly and efficiently. Officials have been instructed to ensure timely lifting of the procured crop.

Reiterating the government’s commitment to buying every grain of the farmers' harvest, Dr Aggarwal assured that no problems would be allowed to arise in the mandis. He said the district administration's top priority is to complete the procurement process without any disruption.

To protect the environment, he also appealed to farmers not to burn wheat stubble and leftover residue, explaining that such burning reduces soil fertility and kills beneficial soil insects.