Haryana’s Minister of State for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Rajesh Nagar, today held a video conference meeting with all District Food and Supply Controllers across the state. The meeting focused on setting district-wise wheat procurement targets for the upcoming Rabi season, reviewing the preparedness of procurement agencies, and ensuring staff availability. Additional Chief Secretary Raja Sekhar Vundru was also present.
During the meeting, the Minister reviewed preparations in mandis for wheat procurement starting from April 1 under the Rabi season. He emphasized that farmers should not face any inconvenience. Officials were instructed to ensure proper arrangements in mandis, including drinking water, toilets, seating, sheds, electricity, and cleanliness.
He also directed officials to ensure adequate supply and management of gunny bags, timely lifting of procured wheat from mandis, proper storage arrangements in warehouses, and availability of sufficient transportation for grain movement. Instructions were also given to prevent irregularities in transportation and to ensure that payments at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) are made within 48 to 72 hours.
The Minister stressed that there should be no delay in payments to farmers. He also directed strict compliance with quality standards during procurement, including proper checks of moisture content. He emphasized better coordination among procurement agencies, the Mandi Board, and district administration to ensure a smooth experience for farmers.
He stated that Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has directed that farmers must not face any hardship. All District Food and Supply Controllers have been instructed to send daily procurement reports to headquarters.
To assist farmers, a state-level toll-free helpline number 1800-180-2066 and control room number 0172-2701215 have been established, where all information related to grain procurement will be available. Complaint registers will also be ensured in all mandis. The Minister informed that a target of 7.2 million metric tonnes of wheat procurement has been set for Haryana during this Rabi season, and all necessary arrangements have been reviewed.
Farmers have been advised to bring their produce in vehicles bearing registered numbers and to carry valid identity documents, as biometric verification has been introduced in mandis this time to ensure genuine identification. Additionally, to curb fake gate passes, geo-tagging through a mobile app and digital signatures of farmers will be used.
He reiterated that under the directions of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, the government is committed to ensuring that farmers can sell their produce in mandis without any difficulty.