Paddy procurement started in Ferozepur

Ferozepur, October 6, 2012: During the current season, 8.28 lakh MTs paddy arrival is expected in 128 purchase centers established in Ferozepur District. 

Out of this, the target share fixed is Pungrain 25 per cent, Markfed 22 per cent, Punsup 23 per cent, Warehouse 11 per cent, Punjab Agro 9 per cent and FCI 10 per cent.  

This was stated by Raminder Singh, Commissioner, Ferozepur in the reviewing meeting for the paddy procurement arrangements with DC, ADC(G), ADC(D), SDMs, Tehsildars, heads of procuring agencies and others.

On this occasion, Raminder Singh, Commissioner, directed the SDMs, Tehsildars and Naib Tehsildars  to supervise the procurement operations and surprise checking in the mandis falling under their jurisdiction. He further said that procurement will also continue Sunday and other holidays and till the completion of the procurement season, no officer/officials of procurement agencies will proceed on leave and mobiles will not be switched off during the season.  The loading and unloading work should also continue even after 5 PM.

He also said that all concerned with the paddy procurement should work with honesty and dedication and the officials of Mandi Board and procuring agencies must keep updated the procurement register on daily basis.

Dr. S. Karuna Raju, Deputy Commissioner, Ferozepur also directed the district mandi officer and officers of the procuring agencies to keep ready the arrangements for tarpaulins, crates and gunny bags and directed to ensure the lifting of stocks within 72 hours and payment within 48 hours.  He further added that in case the lifting of procured stocks is not within 72 hours, the concerned procuring agency may be issued a proper notice. 

In the meeting, Paramjit Singh, SDM Guruahrsahai, Manjit Singh Tehsildar, Ferozepur, Atma Singh, Teshildar Zira, Naib Tehsildar Varinder Garg, Manjit Singh, district mandi officer, H.S.Mokha, DFSC, Rahul Chandan, DM FCI and officers/representative of all procuring agencies were present.

As per the sources, there is no purchase in the mandi by the procuring agencies so far for the sixth day despite the schedule date as October 1, 2012 and farmers are waiting for auction of their produce dumped in the mandis. Both, the millers and procurement agencies staff have boycott the storage and procurement of paddy stocks, in protest against the new milling policy section 14(e) para 14, in which the rice millers have been asked to give a minimum bank guarantee of Rs.30 lakhs for one ton milling capacity and agency’s officials are reluctant to keep the paddy stocks stored in the premises of rice mills under double custody. 

However, later on, Dr. S. Karana Raju, Deputy Commissioner, Ferozepur got started the purchase of paddy by the in Ferozepur   City mandi where former chief parliamentary secretary, Sukhpal Singh Nannu, officers of Punjab Mandi Board and procuring agencies were present.  About 9 lakh MTs paddy is expected to be purchased by all the procuring agencies in the district, he added.