Ludhiana, Apr 8 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday reviewed the ongoing wheat procurement operations at a grain market in Khanna, 50 km from here, and assured all the stakeholders especially farmers that they would not face any difficulty.

He said the wheat procurement in all mandis of the state is going on seamlessly.

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Mann said detailed instructions have already been issued to officials of the food and civil supplies department and heads of all the state procurement agencies to ensure timely payment, besides immediate lifting.

The chief minister said this time, there was a bit delay in the arrival of wheat in mandis and in some areas, even the produce is comparatively less.

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He assured that every single grain of farmers' produce would be procured by the government through its 2,262 mandis.

He said this year, they are expecting the arrival of 135 lakh metric tonne of wheat in the state, out of which around 97,000 MT is expected in Khanna mandi alone.

Mann said due to the Russia-Ukraine war, there would be an increase in demand for wheat globally.

This time, wheat is being purchased above the government fixed minimum support price by private traders.

He also said that payment is being transferred online in the bank accounts of farmers within 48 hours and he is personally monitoring the ongoing wheat procurement process.

Mann said the officials have been strictly directed to ensure that there should be no problem in transportation, payment and 'bardana' (gunny bags).

He said that his government would not let the farmer face any problem in the mandis. He said that all arrangements of drinking water, lights, sitting arrangements and toilets etc have been ensured in all mandis.

He also said to ensure there is no arrival of wheat from other states, the state government is fully geared up and strict action would be taken against anyone allowing this corrupt practice.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)