Punjab minister Kataruchak kickstarts paddy procurement in Bhogpur

Food, Civil Supplies Minister and Consumer Affairs Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak today kickstarted the paddy procurement season at Bhogpur Dana Mandi in Jalandhar district, reaffirming the government’s commitment to lift every single grain farmers' produced.

Reviewing the procurement arrangements, the minister said the government is determined to ensure the smooth and hassle-free procurement season for all stakeholders.

Despite the challenges posed by recent floods, robust arrangements had been made across Punjab to ensure that farmers face no problems in selling their crops, added Kataruchak.

Addressing the media, the minister said the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy has been fixed at ₹2,389 per quintal, and the government has already secured Cash Credit Limits (CCL) worth ₹15,000 crore for September and ₹27,000 crore for October. He further said adequate arrangements of bardana (gunny bags) have been made to avoid inconvenience to farmers.

This year, the target of 172 lakh MT paddy procurement was given to Punjab but arrangements have been made to procure nearly 190 lakh MT paddy.

The minister assured that lifting and payment will go hand in hand, with prompt transfer of payments directly into farmers’ accounts. He directed officials of the Food and Civil Supplies Department, Punjab Mandi Board, and the district administration to monitor operations in mandis to ensure transparency and efficiency.

The Punjab Mandi Board has operationalised 1822 mandis/purchase centres to ensure smooth procurement, besides ensuring the adequate arrangements with regard to electricity, clean drinking water and other amenities in the mandis.

During his visit, the minister also interacted with farmers Gurkirat Singh, Jaspal Singh, and Sukhraj Singh, who appreciated the swift procurement process in Bhogpur Dana Mandi. He assured them that their payments would be made at the earliest. He also appealed to farmers to bring only fully dried paddy to the mandis, as higher moisture levels could hinder procurement.

Senior AAP leader Pawan Kumar Tinu, SDM Randeep Singh Heer, DFSC Harveen Kaur, and officials from various departments were also present on the occasion.