Punjab Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak today said that Central Teams will soon visit Punjab Mandis to assess the impact of recent rains on paddy grains. Punjab Government has already flagged this issue with Centre Government, he added. During his visit to Kharar Grain Market, the Minister expressed satisfaction over the ongoing procurement operations and lauded the efforts of farmers, agencies, and officials ensuring smooth purchase despite challenging weather conditions.
He said that Punjab has so far recorded an arrival of 18 lakh MT of paddy, out of which 17 lakh MT has already been procured. The Minister further informed that payments amounting to Rs 3,215 crore have been released to farmers against the procured paddy. He added that the State Government already has a Cash Credit Limit (CCL) of Rs 27,000 crore for the ongoing Kharif Marketing Season.
“Despite the inclement weather causing damage to crops in some areas, Punjab will fulfill its target of contributing 172 lakh MT of paddy to the Central Pool. The farmers of Punjab are facing the challenges of weather with great courage and resilience,” said the Minister. Reviewing the local procurement arrangements, District Food and Supplies Controller Dr. Navreet apprised the Minister that 75,996 MT of paddy has been procured in SAS Nagar district against the expected arrival of 2,01,199 MT.
She informed that payments of Rs 172.72 crore have already been credited to farmers’ accounts, which amounts to 109% of the dues payable within 48 hours as per norms.The Minister also interacted with farmers, arhtiyas, and labourers present in the mandi. Farmers expressed gratitude for the timely and transparent procurement system.
The Minister assured the arhtiyas that all their legitimate concerns will be duly considered. The Minister was accompanied by Deputy Director (Ropar) Rajnish Kaur, DFSC SAS Nagar Dr. Navreet, Chairman Market Committee Kharar Hakam Singh, Secretary Gurnam Singh, and other officials.
Sh. Kataruchak reiterated that the Kharif Marketing Season is progressing smoothly across Punjab, and that Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s Government is fully committed to ensuring hassle-free procurement and prompt payments to farmers.