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Chandigarh, September 9 – With an aim to ensure smooth and hassle free procurement of paddy, the Punjab Government has decided in principal to allow farmers to transport paddy from grain markets to godowns through their own tractor trolleys.
This was announced by Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal here today while video conferencing with deputy commissioners to review the paddy procurement process and other social security schemes including atta-dal and pensions schemes. He said this exercise was put in place keeping in view the larger interests of farmers to lift the purchased paddy quickly and ease congestion in the grain markets (mandis) during Kharif season. Mr Badal said the paddy transportation costs to the farmers would be handed over as per the charges fixed by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) for commercial vehicles.
The Deputy Chief Minister asked the DC’s to promulgate necessary orders regarding this under section 144 ensuring complete ban on paddy harvesting by the combines during night in their respective districts from 7 pm till 7 am Mr Badal said the violation of these orders would result in confiscation of harvester combines for the entire paddy season. He also directed the FCI including state procurement agencies to ensure timely purchase, swift lifting and proper storage of paddy in an efficient and hassle free manner so as to minimize the difficulties of farmers.
Reviewing the social security schemes the Deputy CM instructed the DCs to send teams to personally visit the villages and get certification from Gram Panchayats by October 1 about the veracity of beneficiaries of atta-dal scheme and pension schemes by displaying lists of present beneficiaries in the villages. Besides, he has also sought a detailed report from the teams regarding status of rural water supply schemes as well as total number of water supply connections issued to the habitants.
Ensuring proper involvement of public representatives and nominated members of various district level planning, advisory and grievances committees to resolve the problems and redress plaints of citizens, Mr Badal asked the district administration to hold monthly meetings and issues identity cards to the nominated members at the earliest and send the consolidated reports to the secretary coordination.
Asking the DCs to be proactive for proper implementation of various social welfare schemes in the state, Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal sought the status regarding disbursal of various pensions through the banks and advised the officers to ease the hardships if any being faced by the beneficiaries in the field.
Among others present in the video conferencing included Principal Secretary to CM S.K. Sandhu, Principal Secretary to Deputy CM P.S. Aujla, Principal Secretary Coordination KAP Sinha, Secretary Food Supply Raj Kamal Choudhary, Secretary Irrigation Kahan Singh Pannu, Secretary Social Security Jaspal Singh, Manvesh Singh Sidhu, Rahul Tewari and Ajay Mahajan (all special principal secretaries to Deputy CM), MD Warehousing Arvinder Singh Bains, and Director Social Security Gurkirat Kirpal Singh.
