CHANDIGARH:The Kharif Marketing Season 2019-20 witnessed arrival of 163.49 LMT paddy in the mandis across the State which has been successfully procured within the stipulated time frame by the State Procurement Agencies (SPAs), informed Mr. Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Punjab.
Felicitating the all stakeholders for the seamless procurement operation, the Minister said that anticipating the tentative inflow of produce in the mandis, the department of Food and Civil Supplies had made the requisite arrangements. Besides, the elected representatives and the officers of the Food and Civil Supplies Department personally supervised all the procurement operations including purchase, lifting and payments which went a long way in ironing out the mandi specific hindrances, said he.
Out of the total procurement from various procurement centres in the State, the Government agencies procured 16227800.22 MT of paddy while 121675 MT has been procured by the millers, he informed and added that amongst the State Procurement Agencies, PUNGRAIN procured 6738908.55 metric tonnes, MARKFED 4170380.68 tonnes and PUNSUP procured 3308481.28 tonnes while Punjab State Warehousing Corporation procured 1786642.99 MT paddy and FCI has procured 223386.75 MT paddy.
Besides, 162.19 LMT paddy has been lifted by November 27 as per the 72 hour lifting norms and prompt release of payments worth Rs. 29328.82 crore have been done to 1125238 the artiyas/farmers against the bills received so far, said Ashu. Pertinently, as mandated by Centre Government, the department of Food and Civil Supplies had introduced the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) for online payment to the farmers and 2557 farmers were covered under e-payment during this season, he informed.