The North News
Chandigarh, October 7
The Punjab government has established a dedicated control room to ensure smooth procurement and management during the ongoing paddy procurement season, the state’s Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian announced on Monday. The facility, set up by the Punjab Mandi Board, aims to provide real-time support and address issues faced by farmers, commission agents (arthiyas), and labourers across all grain markets in the state. Minister Khudian said the control room would operate daily from 8 am to 8 pm., staffed by four officials working in two shifts to ensure that “no query or concern goes unaddressed during critical operational hours.” He added that the move is designed to ensure efficient coordination between various departments involved in procurement, minimize delays, and maintain transparency. “This initiative will help strengthen Punjab’s reputation for farmer-friendly agricultural marketing,” Khudian said.
Farmers and other stakeholders can contact the control room at 0172-5101649 and 0172-5101704 for any assistance related to procurement, logistics, payments, or mandi facilities. Reaffirming Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s commitment to the welfare of farmers, Khudian said, “The success of every procurement season is the success of Punjab. Our government is leaving no stone unturned to make the process seamless, transparent, and efficient.” He described the new setup as a “proactive command centre”—a direct line for Punjab’s farming community to raise issues and receive timely resolution.
