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Punjab to start wheat procurement on April 1: Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak
In a review meeting, he directed the district food supply controllers (DFSCs) to make sure that wheat from outside the state is not sold in Punjab mandis. The minister asked the DFSCs to personally visit the mandis, while reviewing the preparations for the upcoming procurement season.
Even as wheat harvesting is expected to begin at full scale in mid-April owing to late rainfall in the month of March, Punjab food and civil supplies minister Lal Chand Kataruchak on Monday announced that the state government will start procurement operations on April 1.
In a review meeting, he directed the district food supply controllers (DFSCs) to make sure that wheat from outside the state is not sold in Punjab mandis. The minister asked the DFSCs to personally visit the mandis, while reviewing the preparations for the upcoming procurement season.
The minister apprised that the state has received a cash credit limit of ₹30,973 crore for the month of April. Besides, the state has a target of procuring 122 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of wheat. The department, however, has made comprehensive preparations for procuring 132 LMT.
As part of the arrangements, 1,897 procurement centres have been notified and proposals for further 266 temporary yards have been received from district-level procurement committees (DLPCs). The minimum support price (MSP) has been fixed at ₹2,585 per quintal.
Speaking on the food grains storage space, the minister divulged that the CM has taken up the matter with the Centre to speed up the moving of previous seasons’ produce from the state to make space for crops of upcoming seasons.
The minister also assured that the food, civil supplies and consumer affairs department is working in tandem with the marketing companies to maintain the supply of petrol, diesel and LPG supply.
