DC directs chiefs of procurement agencies to expedite procurement and lifting of wheat 

Ludhiana: Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma on Sunday directed the Chiefs of the procurement agencies to expedite the process of procurement and lifting of the wheat from the grain markets in the district.

Presiding over a review meeting to oversee the lifting and procurement of grains here today, the Deputy Commissioner categorically said that any sort of laxity in performing this duty is totally unwarranted and undesirable. 

He said that the produce of farmers’ need to be purchased and lifted at the earliest to facilitate them. 

He said that till April 17, 281854 MT wheat has been arrived out of which 259671 MT has been purchased by various agencies including Pungrain (82290 MT) , Punsup (49663 MT), Warehouse (37001 MT), Markfed (61060 MT), FCI (29498 MT) and 59 MT golden grain by private persons.

He said that agencies have also made the payment worth Rs 37.48 crore to the farmers. 

Sharma said that state government is firmly committed for the smooth and hassle free procurement of wheat during these special circumstances in wake of Covid 19 pandemic and officers are duty-bound to make every effort to ensure that the government’s decision was implemented.

The Deputy Commissioner also asked the Heads of the procurement agencies to visit mandis daily to take stock of the entire operations at ground level. 

He said that the officers must undertake regular visits in the grain markets under their jurisdiction and submit the daily report to him for regular monitoring. 

Sharma also asked them to minutely observe the procurement operations so as to ensure that the stocks of grains do not pile up in the market and its prompt lifting is ensured at the earliest.

The Deputy Commissioner also asked the officers/ officials to keep him updated regarding the procurement operations by submitting the daily report of arrival, purchase and payment of paddy crop to him personally. 

Sharma said that the district administration has made elaborate arrangements to ensure that the harvest of farmers was lifted from the grain markets in a smooth, timely and hassle free manner for which 124 additional purchase centres have been set up in the district apart from 108 permanent markets. 

 He said that farmers would not be allowed to face any sort of problem while selling their produce.

Prominent among present occasion included DFSC (East) Harveen Kaur, DM Punsup Jagandeeep Singh Dhillon, DM warehouse MP Singh, DM Markfed Sanjiv Chopra, DM FCI Gangeshvar Gosain, DMO Davinder Singh and others.