In a bid to virtually make Rabi Management System 2020-21 paperless operation, the Punjab Mandi Board has launched e-PMB, a mobile application as well as Integrated Management System (IMS) to provide real time information of procurement to the farmers.Launching this farmer friendly mobile app, Chairman Mandi Board Laal Singh said that this endeavour would also empower the arthias and general public with the online licensing and the availability of actual rates of fruits and vegetables in ‘Apni Mandis’ from various locations within Punjab. This user friendly app would positively impact all the stakeholders in providing requisite information in terms of marketing support. Lauding this unique initiative to bring far more transparency in procurement operations in the mandis, Additional Chief Secretary Development Viswajeet Khanna said that the Mandi Board has taken a revolutionary step of e-Governance through IMS aimed towards paperless operations. He also mentioned that Punjab Mandi Board has already appointed District Nodal Officers for the seamless implementation of e-PMB to provide various e-services to all stakeholders.Divulging the salient features of mobile app, Secretary Mandi Board Ravi Bhagat said that this App would enable the consumers to compare the rates prevailing in various ‘apni mandis’ across the state besides offering an opportunity to farmers for selling their produce at the real time rates. Besides, this GPS tagged mobile app would also mark the attendance of employees of Punjab Mandi Board and shall confirm their location too.
Regarding the e-Kharid (procurement operations), Ravi Bhagat pointed out that Punjab Mandi Board intends to capture the capture the farm produce as soon as it enters the mandis upto the exit on real time basis. The auction of the produce in the mandi shall also be captured electronically. The Arthias will be able to generate J-Forms online and make them available to the farmers electronically. The procurement, payment and lifting can be monitored in real time. This app would also assist in checking the menace of fake and bogus billing thereby containing such illegal practices. This process is aimed at converting procurement in the mandis to paperless operations that would virtually bring an end to delay in procurement process and evasion of grains & market fees.Listing various e-Services under e-PMB, the Secretary Mandi Board said that through e-Estate the plot owners within mandis would make online applications for different operations like transfer of property, change of any particular of property, permission to mortgage etc. Likewise, all the licenses (new and renewal) such as Arthia, Tola, Processing Industry would only be applied online through e-License without visiting the office of Mandi Board and Secretary Market Committees and these licenses would be issued electronically. He said that all auction of plots in the mandis henceforth shall be conducted electronically through e-Auction. Likewise, all payments/receipts of Rural Development, Market Fee, Property fee, licensing fee shall only be made electronically through e-Payment and all entries of Payments and Receipts in cashbook will be entered online accounting management through e-Accounts.It may be recalled that Punjab Mandi Board has a network of 154 Market Committees entrusted with the responsibility for regulating the marketing of agriculture produce in the mandis and therein providing infrastructure and amenities like auction platform, sheds, office building, canteen, roads, electrification and public health services. Besides this, the Mandi Board has 151 Principal Market Yards, 287 Sub Market Yards and 130 Fruit and Vegetables Mandis.