Paddy procurement and lifting to be completed within a week: Bhagwant Mann

Asserting that 110 Lakh Metric Ton (LMT) paddy has been procured so far, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann today said that the entire process of procurement and lifting will be completed within a week.

The Chief Minister, while interacting with the media persons after inspecting the grain markets here today, said that till October 30, around 112 LMT of paddy has arrived in the state out of which nearly 110 LMT has been procured. He said that out of this 88 LMT has been lifted and a payment worth Rs 18,660 crore has been transferred so far to the farmers. Reiterating the firm commitment of the state government to procure every single grain of paddy, Bhagwant Mann said that during the current procurement season not even a single complaint has been received from the farmers across the state.

The Chief Minister said that he is personally monitoring the entire procurement process to ensure that farmers do not face any sort of inconvenience. He said that the state government has taken path-breaking initiatives to ensure smooth, hassle-free and transparent procurement of grains in the state. Bhagwant Mann said that no stone will be left unturned to facilitate the farmers by ensuring foolproof procurement at the micro level. 

The Chief Minister further said that zoning of different districts of the state had given desired results. He said that this has enabled the state government to have a correct assessment of the cropping pattern of the state to save water. Likewise, Bhagwant Mann said that it has helped in ensuring a regular supply of power to the farmers. 

Replying to a query, the Chief Minister said that the state government is committed to ensuring exemplary punishment to the perpetrators of the Sidhu Moosewala murder case. He said that majority of conspirators, planners and executors of this heinous crime have been already nabbed. Bhagwant Mann said that the state government has also requested the Government of India to issue Red corner notices for the culprits who have taken shelter on foreign lands. 

The Chief Minister also said that before raising a question mark over the expenses made by the state government to showcase Punjab in other states, the Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa must peep into their conscience and look at what their party is doing in other states. He asked the Leader of the opposition Partap Singh ‘Bhajpa’ to refrain from such double standards. Bhagwant Mann said that the state government has the full right to highlight its achievements in other states to attract more investments in the state. 

The Chief Minister also said that merely joining the BJP does not give a clean chit to any individual. He said that former Congress Minister Sunder Sham Arora had joined BJP in hope of getting safe haven for his misdeeds of plundering the wealth of the state. However, Bhagwant Mann said that the former Minister is now behind the bar for his sins and ironically a machine for counting of notes has been recovered from his home. 

The Chief Minister was accompanied by Food and Civil Supplies Minister Lal Chand Kataaruchak, Director Food and Civil Supplies Ghanshyam Thori and others.