Chandigarh, October 7:
In a significant move to ensure the seamless procurement and management of the ongoing paddy procurement season, the Punjab Mandi Board has set up a control room. It will help to provide immediate support and address issues of farmers, arthiyas (commission agents) and labourers in real-time across all grain markets (mandis) in the state, informed S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Punjab.
To ensure robust and responsive operations, the Agriculture Minister said that the control room has been manned by four dedicated officials, divided into two teams working in shifts from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM daily to provide continuous coverage and real-time assistance to farmers and other stakeholders by ensuring that no query or concern goes unaddressed during critical operational hours.
Elaborating on the initiative, S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian said that farmers and other stakeholders can contact the control room at 0172-5101649 & 0172-5101704. This initiative will ensure smooth operations in mandis across Punjab, by providing timely procurement updates and facilitating inter-agency coordination to enhancing efficiency, minimising delays and upholding the state’s reputation for farmer-friendly agricultural marketing.
Reaffirming Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government’s unwavering commitment to its “Annadaata”, S. Khudian stated, “The success of every procurement season is the success of Punjab. CM Mann led state government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that our farmers, arthiyas and labourers experience the most streamlined and transparent procurement process. This control room is our proactive command centre, a direct line for our stakeholders to resolve any issue—be it related to logistics, payments or facilities in the mandis—swiftly and effectively”.
