Minister Kataruchak reviews wheat procurement at Nabha

Punjab Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak on Monday visited the grain market at Nabha and directed the officials concerned to ensure hassle-free wheat procurement.

The minister said every grain brought to mandis would be procured and payments credited directly to farmers’ bank accounts immediately after lifting the produce.

Kataruchak said the state had set a target of procuring 122 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of wheat this season and all necessary arrangements had been put in place to achieve it. “Despite various challenges, the procurement process across Punjab is running smoothly and efficiently,” he claimed.

The minister said around 39 lakh MT of wheat had arrived in the markets across the state so far, of which nearly 34 lakh MT had been procured. The streamlined system ensured farmers were receiving the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 2,585 per quintal without any delay.

Highlighting improvements over previous years, Kataruchak said farmers earlier had to wait for weeks to receive payments, often leading to protests. “This time, the government has addressed this issue by making the procurement and payment system more efficient and transparent,” he said.

Payments worth Rs 1,818 crore had already been transferred to farmers’ accounts, reflecting the government’s focus on timely disbursal.

“The primary objective is to ensure quick procurement along with prompt payments so that farmers do not face any inconvenience,” he added.

The minister also interacted with farmers and commission agents during his visit and took stock of arrangements at the mandi.

Among those present on the occasion were SDM of Nabha APS Somal and District Food and Civil Supplies Controller Ravinder Kaur.