Efficient Wheat Procurement Arrangements Finalized for April 1st: Anurag Verma Ensures Smooth Process

Efficient Wheat Procurement Arrangements Finalized for April 1st: Anurag Verma Ensures Smooth Process

In a proactive move to prepare for the upcoming Rabi Marketing Season (RMS), Chief Secretary Anurag Verma convened a virtual meeting today with procurement agencies’ officials and all district Deputy Commissioners to assess the readiness of wheat procurement operations. Anurag Verma affirmed that all necessary arrangements have been meticulously put in place to commence wheat procurement from April 1st, ensuring a seamless process for farmers.

Providing insights into the agricultural landscape, Mr. Verma highlighted that wheat cultivation has covered an extensive 35.07 Lakh Hectare area in Punjab, projecting an estimated yield of 161.30 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT). The requirement of Cash Credit Limit (CCL) stands at Rs. 30,776 Crores, with Rs. 27,077.91 Crores already received for April, while the remaining amount for May is anticipated shortly. To facilitate the procurement process, the Punjab Mandi Board has earmarked 1908 regular purchase centers, which will soon be allocated to various procurement agencies as per their requirements.

Emphasizing the paramount importance of farmer welfare, the Chief Secretary issued directives to Deputy Commissioners to ensure a hassle-free procurement experience for farmers. Besides ensuring a robust procurement mechanism in the mandis, special emphasis was placed on providing essential facilities. Mr. Verma underscored the necessity of prompt and hassle-free payments to farmers, urging Deputy Commissioners to promptly report any pending issues with procurement agencies to address them swiftly and avert any disruptions in the procurement process.

The meeting witnessed the participation of key officials including Principal Secretary of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Vikas Garg; Secretary of Finance, Gurpreet Kaur Sapra; Managing Directors of Punjab State Warehousing Corporation and PUNSUP, Kanwalpreet Kaur Brar and Sonali Giri respectively; Director of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Puneet Goyal; Secretary of Punjab Mandi Board, Amrit Kaur Gill; General Manager of FCI, B. Srinivasan; Managing Director of Markfed, Girish Dayalan; and Additional Secretary of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Kamal Garg.

Amidst the preparatory measures, the administration’s proactive stance underscores its commitment to ensuring a smooth and efficient wheat procurement process, bolstering the agricultural sector’s stability and fostering farmer prosperity.

Keywords: Wheat procurement, Rabi Marketing Season, Chief Secretary Anurag Verma, Punjab Mandi Board, Procurement agencies, Farmer welfare, Hassle-free payments, Agricultural stability.