Chandigarh, July 21: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday directed the Finance Department to ensure that financial arrangements in terms of CCL are made well in time to ensure timely payment to farmers in the Kharif Marketing Season 2020-21.
Reviewing the preparations for the purchase of paddy in Punjab, which is likely to start from October 1, the Chief Minister said payment to the farmers should be done within 48 hours of procurement, as was ensured during the recent Rabi Marketing Season. He directed the Food Department to coordinate with the Government of India to ensure that receivables payments from the Government of India are received in time.
The Chief Minister asked Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan to coordinate with the various concerned authorities to open more mandis to ensure social distancing in the times of COVID-19, so that paddy procurement could also be handled as effectively as wheat procurement was completed amid the pandemic.
He directed the Food and Civil supplies Department to ensure seamless and hassle-free procurement of paddy, so that the farmers do not suffer any hardships and all agencies involved in the process also do not face any problems.
Food and Civil supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu informed the meeting that due to COVID-19 restrictions, the jute mills of Kolkata were not functioning at full capacity, which was affecting the supply of gunny bags. Then Chief Minister asked the department to explore the possibilities of reusing the once-used gunny bags and also HDPE (plastic) bags.
