CHANDIGARH: The Reserve Bank of India today sanctioned the first instalment of the cash credit limit for Rs. 36, 999 Crore for the month of October, 2022 for the forthcoming paddy procurement season. The balance amount of Rs. 7, 500 crore for the month of November 2022 is expected to be released after the first instalment is consumed.
Sharing these details the Chief Minister said that the early sanction of the cash credit limit will ensure timely preparations for the forthcoming paddy procurement season and facilitate payments directly into the farmers accounts from October 1 itself, he said.
The Chief Minister added that the forthcoming kharif season was the first paddy procurement season of the AAP Government and, therefore, he had issued directions to the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs in May itself to initiate advance planning for it. As a result the Government, with the use of latest IT technologies, has totally revamped the government policies related to milling, transport, labour and purchase of stock articles in an effort to make the process completely transparent and efficient, he said.
Taking a swipe at the Congress, the Chief Minister said that during its misrule, the State Government had, on four occasions, failed to procure the Cash Credit Limit in time before the start of the paddy procurement season. Consequently, in these four years, the farmers had to wait for weeks before they got the payment for sale of their hard earned produce.
The Chief Minister added that the government is committed to purchase every single grain of paddy produced by the farmer of Punjab. He added that Punjab has always been at the fore front in ensuring national food security and it shall continue to do so.