Amid Covid-19 crisis, the Punjab Food and Civil SuppliesDepartment has successfully completed the massive procurement operations byensuring innovative arrangements for smooth procurement of farmers’ produce.
Disclosing this here today, the Punjab Food and CivilSupplies Minister Mr. Bharat Bhushan Ashu said that lock-down/curfew wasimposed in the state on March 23, 2020, while the crop of the farmer was readyto be brought to Mandis by Baisakhi. It was a burning issue that how procurementcould be made this time during lockdown/curfew, said the Minister adding thatunder the able leadership of Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh, thedepartment formulated a comprehensive plan besides stating the procurement process from April 15.
The Minister said that to check the spread of coronavirus during the procurement, adequate arrangements had been made to issuepasses to the farmers bringing their produce to the mandis besides ensuringcompliance of sanitation, sanitizer, mask and social distancing etc in view ofCOVID-19.
He said that not a single case of corona virus wasdetected during the entire procurement process of wheat. During this season theprocurement agencies of the state procured wheat at the rate of Rs. 1925/-MSP and the payment was made to the farmerswithin 48 hours.
Ashu said that comprehensive arrangements were also madefor the procurement of paddy and the number of mandis in the state wastemporarily increased to 4200. During this period 203.96 lakh metric tonnes ofpaddy was procured at a cost of Rs. 1888/- MSP.