IEP Chandigarh, April 13
Punjab Transport and Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy Development Minister S. Laljit Singh Bhullar, on Thursday, started wheat procurement operations in grain markets of Patti constituency. He reached the Mandis of Patti, Dubli, Kot Budha, Harike, Naushehra Pannu in the constituency and took stock of the procurement process. The Cabinet Minister instructed the officials of the Food and Civil Supplies Department and government procurement agencies not to let the farmers face any kind of problem in the mandis, adding that crop lifting from the mandis should be ensured on time so that the farmers do not face any difficulty while bringing wheat to the mandis. The payment of the crop should also be made on time, he categorically said. S. Laljit Singh Bhullar said, Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann has announced that the state government will compensate the farmers for the loss due to the price cut by the union government on wheat crop damaged due to rain and wind. He lamented, when the farmers have suffered heavy loss of crops due to unseasonal rain, the union government has refused to help the farmers in this difficult time. The Transport Minister said, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led government was committed to the welfare of the farmers and farmers will not face any kind of hardship in the Mandis during the ongoing wheat procurement season. Notably, wheat arrival has started late in the markets due to unseasonal rain, and the wheat crop has started arriving late in many mandis of the Patti. The cabinet minister said, the Punjab government has given a big relief to the farmers as the state government has increased the compensation amount by 25 percent for the damage to the crop. He said that the state government will provide Rs.15,000 per acre compensation to farmers with more than 75 percent damage. He informed that a special girdhawari is being conducted in the state and compensation for the crop damage will be distributed soon. The Cabinet Minister said that the state government stands shoulder to shoulder with the farmers in this hour of crisis.
