Holds meeting with Chairman and MD of Mandi Board from various states
Chandigarh, October 22-
The Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Sunday batted for further promotion of inter state trade within the country for remunerative price of produce to the farmers on one hand and supply of quality products at affordable price to the people on the other.
Chairing a meeting with the Chairman and Managing Directors of the various states here at the Punjab Bhawan, the Chief Minister said that all the states must join their hands for developing a common platform to buy and sell the commodities. He said that this is the need of the hour to safeguard tue interests of both the consumers and farmers. Bhagwant Singh Mann this will ensure the availability of best products to the people and remunerative price of the produce to the farmers.
The Chief Minister said that it will ensure that cross sections of society are benefitted from this practice. He said that now when the entire world has emerged as a single market, the unnecessary shackles within the states regarding production and marketing of produce should be removed. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this ‘farm to fork’ approach and availability of goods within all the states will immensely benefit the consumers and farmers in a big way.
The Chief Minister said that it is imperative to adopt this approach to ensure that farmers get its profit. He said that due to ever escalating cost of farm inputs and lower returns agriculture is no longer a profitable venture. However, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that if the idea of common platform for marketing of produces is evolved it will help the farmers in a big way.
The Chief Minister also explained the visiting delegations about the successful utilisation of the Rural Development Fund by the state for public welfare. However, he bemoaned that a whopping sum of Rs 5637.4 crore of state’s RDF is still pending with the Union government. Bhagwant Singh Mann said despite of various efforts the Union government is not releasing these funds which is a grave injustice with the state.
On the occasion, Chairman Punjab Mandi Board Harchand Singh Barsat, Chairman Goa Mandi Board Parkash Chander Velip, Chairman Haryana Mandi Board Aditya Devilal Chautala, MD Uttarakhand Mandi Board Ashish Bhatgain and others were also present.
