Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, April 13: The process of government procurement of wheat crop in the district is going on smoothly and Rs. 13.23 crore of wheat payment has been made to the farmers directly to their accounts till now.
     Disclosing this, Deputy Commissioner Smt. Komal Mittal said that as per the instructions of the Punjab Government, wheat payment is being made in the accounts of the farmers even before the stipulated time. She said that the district administration is committed to purchase the every grain of the farmers' crop as per the guidelines of the Punjab Government.
    She said that to protect the wheat from getting soaked due to inclement weather, proper arrangements have been made by the Market Committees, Food and Civil Supplies Department, Arthiyas and farmers in all the procurement centers with tarpaulins etc. She added that mild rain has been reported in the mandis of the district so far and no damage has been caused due to the rain to crop.
     District Food and Supply Controller, Dr. Navreet said that 6177 metric tons of wheat have been procured in the mandis of the district so far. She said that about 1594 metric tons have been procured by Pangrain, 1964 metric tons by Markfed, 1974 metric tons by PUNSUP, 470 metric tons by Punjab State Warehouse Corporation and 117 metric tons by FCI and 58 metric tons by the traders.
     According to the Deputy Commissioner, the lifting of wheat is being done by the government procurement agencies within the stipulated time (within 72 hours of procurement). FCI and procurement agencies are directly purchasing wheat from the mandis and sending it to other states through railway and road routes.
      She said that the farmers will be provided with the uninterrupted effective procurement operations till the end of the wheat procurement season and farmers will not be allowed to face any problem in any mandi of the district. She said that the farmers have been selling their crops and going home on time and have expressed satisfaction over the arrangements made by the Punjab Government led by Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann.