Readying itself for the smooth and hassle-free wheatprocurement season, to start from April 10 amidst the shadow of the Covidpandemic, the district administration has initiated the process of marking thepitches in grain markets for maintaining social distance amongst the farmers.
Disclosing further details in this regard, DeputyCommissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma said that under the Covid managementprogram, social distancing is one of the golden rules to contain the spread ofinfectious disease.
He said to ensure the practice of physical distancingamong peasantry during procurement, pitches are being marked in the grainmarkets so that farmers are not allowed to gather at a single place to keep acheck on the spread of the Covid 19.
He told that this was the need of the hour to obtainsocial distance while ensuring smooth procurement of the grain.
Sharma said that every golden grain of the farmer wouldbe procured by the district administration, though in a staggered manner.
The Deputy Commissioner said that the Punjab governmentled by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has already decided to startprocurement from April 10 to make elaborate arrangements in the grain marketsfor the farmers in view of the Covid-19 crisis.
He said that all protocols, including masks, sanitizersand washing hand facilities and others for the farmers and the governmentemployees would be strictly followed with adding that a comprehensive securityplan for the Mandis is already being formulated.
Sharma reiterated the commitment of the districtadministration to procure every single grain of the farmers in this hour ofcrisis.
District Food and Supply Controller Sukhwant Singh Gillsaid that this year, we are expecting the procurement of around 9 lakh MT wheatfrom the grain markets of the Ludhiana and directions have been issued to allprocurement agencies and their staff for making an effective mechanism ofsmooth procurement.