Prinicpal Secretary Mr Alok Shekhar, Punsup MD Mr Rambir and Deputy Commissioner Mr Varinder Kumar Sharma on Wednesday took the stock of wheat procurement operations during ongoing Rabi season in Jalandhar.Showing satisfaction on the procurement works in the Jalandhar during their visits in city's grain market and Khaira Majha village markets, they said that this time, the season was one of challenging task for the ensuing smooth and hassle-free procurement in the prevailing situation arising out of Covid-19 pandemic.They asked district managers of various procurement agencies to strictly adhere by the guidelines of the state government of the lifting wheat within 48 hours of its purchase and told Mandi Board officials to ensure obeying of the social distancing in the grain markets.They told that all the procurement agencies must make sure that there was no glut of grains in the markets/ mandis by ensuring its prompt lifting.They added that the procurement agencies must monitor the process of lifting in the mandis allotted to them and make sure that it was done within 48 hours of its purchase. They told that any sort of callousness in this job was unwarranted and undesirable.They said that during the procurement, coupons are being issued by market committees to Arthiyas which subsequently being given to the farmers. They said that a farmer is entitled to take multiple coupons each day or on different days depending on space in order to avoid rush in the mandis and moreover, the district administration has set up 78 additional purchase centres in rice mills for the season to reduce the crowd in the grain markets.They asked that the farmers must not get any sort of inconvenience in getting the payment of their golden grains.They stated that it was the bounden duty of the state government and administration to make sure that the entire procurement process of the food grains was completed without any sort of delay besides ensuring the strict compliance of the all medical protocols that needed to contain the Covid-19.They also checked the facilities of hand washing, mask, sanitizers or soaps being provided to the farmers, labourers and others and also interacted with commission agents and farmers in the grain markets.They told that till date 277373 metric ton of wheat has been procured in the various grain markets/ mandis of the Jalandhar and 70 percent of the wheat, has been lifted.Prominent amongst other present on the occasion included District Food and Civil Supply Controller Mr Narinder Singh, District Mandi Officer Mr. Davinder Singh Kainth, Mr Kewal Singh, District Manager Markfed Mr Sachin Garg, District Manager Pungrain Mr Janak Raj and others were also present.