Punjab Cabinet Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu to emphasise on bringing transparency and abolishing corruption

Ludhiana, April 22, 2018: Punjab Cabinet Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Bharat Bhushan Ashu has said that the procurement process of wheat in the state is going on in a proper manner. There is no problem in procurement and payment, while the ongoing lifting problem will be resolved within two or three days.

Ashu, who was sworn in as the minister on Saturday, did a tour of the mandis on Sunday, to review progress of the ongoing work of procurement of wheat. On the occasion, he told that the Punjab government was committed to purchase every single grain of the crop. He said under the special policy adopted by the Punjab Government, the procurement process of wheat and procurement process in the state was being done very well. The payments of the farmers were being made within 48 hours of the procurement of wheat from the farmers. He said these payments were being made directly to the farmers through online mode.

He said that he was yet to take the charge of the department, but on the orders made by Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh, he visited mandis today and wanted to see the procurement arrangements.

He told that it had been come to his notice that there was a serious issue of lifting of the crop. He said that this time due due to a couple of reasons including uncertain weather, the lifting of the wheat was slow. He said he had spoken to the high officials about this and efforts would be made to resolve the problem of lifting completely within next two to three days. He said proper allocation of trucks for lifting of wheat would be ensured and that would be done mandi-wise. He categorically stated that there was no shortage of gunny bags in the mandis and the procurement and payment process was being run smoothly.

Interacting with the media persons, Ashu said that after becoming the cabinet minister, his first priority was to ensure the procurement arrangements in a proper manner, after which the emphasis would be on to bring transparency in the department and abolish corruption. He said that departmental work had improved considerably during last one year.
Speaking on the occasion, Lok Sabha MP Ravneet Singh Bittu congratulated Ashu on becoming a Cabinet Minister and also said that the Punjab Government was determined to make all-round development in the state. During the wheat procurement process, farmers would not have to feel any kind of harassment in the mandis.