Punjab takes steps to check wheat crop from other states

Chandigarh,  Punjab Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan on Thursday issued instructions to the police and other departments to make foolproof arrangements for not allowing even a single grain of wheat from outside the state.
She said that enforcement teams should be deployed on inter-state borders to check the illegal trade.
She also directed to ensure the lifting of the crop within 72 hours after the procurement from the mandis and timely payment to farmers.
Chairing a virtual meeting to review the ongoing wheat procurement operations in the state, the Chief Secretary said the state government has made elaborate arrangements with the ample availability of sanitisers, soaps, foot-operator washbasins and face masks, besides holding vaccination camps while strictly following the Covid protocols in the mandis.
Additional Chief Secretary (Development) Anirudh Tewari apprised the CS that the state government had designated 4,000 purchase centres across the state for procurement of wheat at minimum support price from the farmers.
Punjab Mandi Board has issued over 4.48 lakh passes to the farmers through arthiyas (commission agents) to ensure the staggered arrival of crop in the mandis in view of the Covid crisis.
Allaying fears of shortage of gunny bags, the Principal Secretary Food and Civil Supplies KAP Sinha informed the meeting that sufficient ‘bardana’ was available in the state and there was no need to panic.
Presently, as many as 2.6 lakh bales were available.
Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta, assured that more police teams will be deployed at inter-state check-posts to stop the illegal transportation of wheat crop from other states. PTI