Administration gears up for smooth procurement of paddy 

Ludhiana, September 30, 2021: Reiterating the firm commitment of the state government to lift every single grain of paddy from the markets in the paddy procurement season that is set to start from Friday (October 1), Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma has directed the heads of procurement agencies in the district to complete the entire process in a smooth and hassle free manner.
Reviewing the preparations of the paddy procurement for the Kharif Season 2021-22 in the district during a meeting in Bachat Bhawan, the Deputy Commissioner said that the paddy has been cultivated on around 2.57 lakh hectare in Ludhiana and around 17.53 lakh MT paddy is expected to be arrived in the grain markets. He said that 17.28 lakh paddy was procured in district in last procurement season. 
He said that the apart from 108 regular grain markets in the Ludhiana, the administration have also marked 94 temporary yards and 203 mandi yards in Mills to decongest the markets for maintaining social distancing during the operations. 
Sharma directed all the heads to personally supervise the paddy procurement operations across the district beginning from Friday, so as to ensure prompt lifting of paddy as per their allotted share of procurement. 
He categorically said that all out efforts should be made to ensure smooth, hassle free and quick procurement of paddy on one hand and facilitate the farmers in getting timely payment of their produce on the other.  Sharma said that farmers in the district should not be put to any inconvenience for the sale of their produce in the mandis.
The Deputy Commissioner further said that the Sub Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) would be accountable for the smooth procurement operations in grain markets under his jurisdiction so that farmers do not face any sort of problem in selling their harvest. 
He asked Mandi Board officials to make sure of arrangements in mandis to save produce from rain in case and to have proper sanitation facilities. Likewise, Sharma issued instructions to make requisite arrangement of power, sheds for the farmers, portable water supply and equipment to monitor the quality of paddy in each procurement centre.
Prominent among present on the occasion included District Food, Civil Supplies and controller  (DFSC) west Surinder Kumar Beri DFSC East Harveen Kaur, Deputy District Mandi Officer Birinder Singh, DM Punsup Jagandeep Singh Dhillon, DM Warehouse MP Singh, DM Markfed Sanjiv Kumar, Chief Agriculture Officer Dr Narinder Singh Benipal and representatives from Arhtiya Association and others.