In a bid to seek on the spot feedback from the farmers and Arthiyas about ongoing wheat procurement operations, the six IAS officers visit

Chandigarh: In a bid to seek on the spot feedback from the farmers and Arthiyas about ongoing wheat procurement operations, the six IAS officers visited various mandis across the state to review the on-ground situation to further intensify procurement and lifting of produce.

PhotoDisclosing this here today, an official spokesperson said that all these officers have been mandated to submit their detailed reports positively by tomorrow. On the basis of these inputs, a consolidated report would be submitted to the state government for taking further appropriate steps to accomplish the ongoing procurement operations of wheat within stipulated timeline.

It may be recalled that said officers were directed to visit mandis in different districts from April 28-29 to check the implementation of the curfew pass system, village-wise arrivals of wheat in the mandis assigned, inspecting the quality of wheat and adherence to COVID-19 protocol.

Meanwhile, the Additional Chief Secretary Development Viswajeet Khanna, who also visited various mandis/purchase centres in Patiala district on April 28 to take stock of the ongoing procurement arrangements besides the implementation of health protocol including social distancing, informed that overall position of the procurement of wheat is satisfactory despite its staggered movement in wake of COVID-19.

PhotoKhanna further said that out of 69.15 LMT of wheat that had so far arrived in various mandis across the state, 67.15 LMT had already been procured. He further said that 9.20 lakh passes had been issued so far by Mandi Board to the farmers through Arthiyas in 4100 designated purchase centres to avoid crowding and congestion as a preventive measure besides sufficient quantity of sanitizers and masks has already been provided in mandis to ensure safety and well-being of all stakeholders.  

Notably, MD Punjab State Warehousing Corporation Nilkanth S Avhad visited Ropar & SBS Nagar districts to oversee the wheat procurement operations while MD MARKFED Varun Roojam (Amritsar & Tarantaran), Director Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Anindita Mitra (SAS Nagar), Secretary Mandi Board Ravi Bhagat (Patiala, SBS Nagar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Jalandhar), MD PUNSUP Rambir (Jalandhar & Kapurthala) and MD PAFC Manjit Brar (Gurdaspur & Pathankot).