IEP Chandigarh, April 24
Haryana Deputy Chief Minister, Sh. Dushyant Chautala has said that more than 54 lakh metric tonnes of wheat has been procured in the state and Rs. 5800 crore has been paid directly to the farmers in their bank accounts. He said that in the next two days, Rs. 9,000 crore will be deposited in the accounts of the farmers after procurement.       The Deputy Chief Minister said that the procurement of wheat was started in the state from April 1, so far 54 lakh metric tonnes has been procured and there is a possibility of buying 20 lakh metric tonnes more in the coming days.       He said that lifting from mandis has been expedited and more than 52 percent lifting has been done from the state mandis. The department has decided to extend it by not buying on Sundays but only by fixing the lifting day.       He informed that not a single farmer has faced any inconvenience in selling crops in the procuring centres. He said that the farmer’s crops are being procured as soon as they arrive. In response to a question, Sh. Chautala said that there has been no confusion regarding the e-tendering system. Panchayati Raj Institutions have started working with e-tendering system. The process is transparent and accountable, he added. In this, the accountability of the contractor and officers has been fixed. He said that the government has increased the power of Sarpanchs from Rs. 2 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh in order to complete the work at the earliest. It can also be extended if needed.       The Deputy Chief Minister on the question of bringing the Indians stranded in Sudan to India, said that the Ministry of External Affairs and the Force are working on this. He hoped that soon action will be taken to bring them back to India. Reacting to the protest by the wrestlers at Jantar Mantar, Deputy Chief Minister, Sh. Dushyant Chautala said that the Central Government has formed a committee on the demands of players and the investigation is underway. He added that something can be said only after the investigation is done.       On this occasion, Sh. Dushyant Chautala thanked the traders, farmers and labourers that they have procured wheat with excellent coordination and also got it lifted.
