Early payment for wheat procurement

On the formal launch of the procurement of wheat at Asia's biggest grain market, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today announced that the payments for procurement of wheat would be made to the farmers within 48 hours and also auction would now be conducted twice a day rather than one to ensure quick and transparent procurement.

It is worth noting that earlier payments were made to the farmers within 72 hours. Badal said that till yesterday 1,54791 MT of wheat had been procured in the state out of which 1,26,230 MT and 28,561 MT had been procured by the government agencies and the traders respectively.

Addressing a gathering of farmers and commission agents (arhtiyas) at the local grain market after inspecting the auction of a heap of wheat, Badal said that SAD-BJP Government was committed to lift every grain of the produce to the advantage of the farming community. He said that these two steps would enormously benefit the farmers.