Punjab Chief Secretary Anurag Verma Ensures Smooth Paddy Procurement
On Thursday, Punjab Chief Secretary Anurag Verma held a review meeting with all the Deputy Commissioners to ensure smooth and hassle-free paddy procurement, following the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann. The procurement will start from October 1.
Chief Secretary Verma announced that the Punjab Government secured a cash credit limit (CCL) of Rs 41,339.81 crore for paddy purchase till the end of October 2024. He assured that the government is committed to purchasing every grain from farmers and ensuring immediate payment to their bank accounts.
Verma appealed to farmers to bring paddy with up to 17% moisture to the market for immediate purchase. He also coordinated with FCI CMD Vanita Sharma to ensure no issues for millers during the procurement season.
Director Food and Civil Supplies Puneet Goyal reported that 5 lakh bales are needed for the expected purchase of 185 lakh metric tonnes of paddy, with 4.74 lakh bales already procured. Arrangements for 35 thousand more bales are underway.
Verma directed Deputy Commissioners to provide necessary facilities for farmers in the mandis and to personally monitor the arrangements. He emphasized strict compliance with rules banning combine operations for paddy harvesting from 6 pm to 10 am.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary Food and Civil Supplies Vikas Garg, MD Punjab Warehouse Corporation Kanwalpreet Brar, Secretary Punjab Mandi Board Ramvir Singh, MD PUNSUP Sonali Giri, Director Food and Civil Supplies Puneet Goyal, and MD Markfed Girish Dayalan.
Doubts Revealed
Punjab Chief Secretary -: The Punjab Chief Secretary is a top government official in the state of Punjab, India, who helps manage and oversee various state activities and policies.
Anurag Verma -: Anurag Verma is the name of the person who is currently the Chief Secretary of Punjab.
Deputy Commissioners -: Deputy Commissioners are important government officials in charge of districts within the state. They help manage local administration and implement government policies.
Paddy Procurement -: Paddy procurement is the process of buying rice crops from farmers. The government buys these crops to ensure farmers get a fair price and to maintain food supply.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann -: Bhagwant Singh Mann is the current Chief Minister of Punjab, which means he is the head of the state government.
Cash Credit Limit -: A cash credit limit is the maximum amount of money the government can borrow from banks to pay for things like buying paddy from farmers.
Rs 41,339.81 crore -: This is a large amount of money, specifically 41,339.81 crore rupees, which the Punjab Government has arranged to buy paddy from farmers.
FCI CMD Vanita Sharma -: FCI stands for Food Corporation of India, and CMD means Chairman and Managing Director. Vanita Sharma is the person in charge of FCI, which helps manage food supply in India.
Millers -: Millers are people or companies that process paddy into rice. They play a key role in turning the harvested crop into food that can be sold and eaten.
Food and Civil Supplies Department -: This is a government department that ensures people have enough food and other essential supplies. They help manage the buying and distribution of food items like rice.