Punjab Govt mulls new policy for grain transportation

Chandigarh, December 6

The state government is all set to bring a new policy for transportation of foodgrains. The policy will be implemented from the next rabi marketing season, when the term of the present contractors ends.

The new policy, being framed after the state government had to retract its policy recently, will be segregating the policy for transportation of foodgrains from the labour and cartage policy. The first policy brought in by the state government earlier this year had tried to amalgamate the transportation and labour and cartage in one policy.

Sources in the government said the draft policy was ready, and preliminary discussions with all stakeholders had been held. A meeting to discuss the policy and its financial implications was also held today with top functionaries in Finance Department led by Finance Minister Harpal Cheema. The policy is likely to be brought up for discussion in the Cabinet meeting scheduled for Monday.

Rahul Bhandari, Principal Secretary, Food and Supply, said the draft had been prepared after consultations with transporters and labour unions.