CHANDIGARH: The Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Lal Chand Kataruchak today ordered closure of wheat procurement operations in Mandis in the State from 25th May. This announcement was made after carefully examining the successful conclusion of procurement operations in the mandis of the State.
Sharing these details, the Food Minister said that more than 125.57 LMT wheat has arrived in the mandis of the State during the current Rabi season that started w.e.f. 1st April in the State. Out of this, 121.07 LMT has been procured by Government Procurement Agencies while nearly 4.5 LMT has been procured by the private traders. Further, Rs. 24, 693 crore have been paid as MSP to the 8, 09, 149 farmers of the State directly to bank accounts.
Commenting on the working of the Mandis, Kataruchak said that the State Government had operationalised 2780 Mandis in the State during the present Rabi season. But following a drastic dip in the arrivals of wheat in certain parts of the state from 10th May onwards, 2628 Mandis have so far been closed in a carefully planned phased manner in the recent days. At present wheat is being procured in 152 Main Mandis Yards covering all the Districts in the State, he said.
The Minister added that, although the timeline for closure of procurement was earlier kept as 31st May but seeing the negligible pace of wheat arrivals in the recent days and reports of successful conclusion of procurement Operations across the State, it has been decided to close all mandis by 25th May. He appealed to the farmers to bring all produce to the mandis by 25th May.