Administration to strictly ensure social distancing in grain markets during wheat procurement starting from April 10

Ludhiana: Readying itself for the smooth and hassle-free wheat procurement season, to start from April 10 amidst the shadow of the Covid pandemic, the district administration has initiated the process of marking the pitches in grain markets for maintaining social distance amongst the farmers.

Disclosing further details in this regard, Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma said that under the Covid management program, social distancing is one of the golden rules to contain the spread of infectious disease. 

He said to ensure the practice of physical distancing among peasantry during procurement, pitches are being marked in the grain markets so that farmers are not allowed to gather at a single place to keep a check on the spread of the Covid 19. 

He told that this was the need of the hour to obtain social distance while ensuring smooth procurement of the grain. 

Sharma said that every golden grain of the farmer would be procured by the district administration, though in a staggered manner. 

The Deputy Commissioner said that the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has already decided to start procurement from April 10 to make elaborate arrangements in the grain markets for the farmers in view of the Covid-19 crisis. 

He said that all protocols, including masks, sanitizers and washing hand facilities and others for the farmers and the government employees would be strictly followed with adding that a comprehensive security plan for the Mandis is already being formulated. 

Sharma reiterated the commitment of the district administration to procure every single grain of the farmers in this hour of crisis.

District Food and Supply Controller Sukhwant Singh Gill said that this year, we are expecting the procurement of around 9 lakh MT wheat from the grain markets of the Ludhiana and directions have been issued to all procurement agencies and their staff for making an effective mechanism of smooth procurement.