Punjab procures 5.70 lakh MT paddy so far: Kataruchak

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Lal Chand Kataruchak inspects Patiala grain market and meets farmers

Patiala: Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak on Tuesday inspected paddy procurement arrangements at the Patiala grain market and said the state has procured 5.70 lakh metric tonnes of the 6.23 lakh MT received in mandis so far.

Kataruchak interacted with farmers and traders during his visit and reviewed arrangements for the ongoing paddy procurement season. He said the Punjab government had put measures in place to ensure that farmers did not face difficulties at the procurement centres.

The minister said he was personally visiting mandis to assess the arrangements on the ground and was touring markets in 2 districts on Tuesday. According to Kataruchak, Punjab has so far received 6.23 lakh MT of paddy across its mandis, of which 5.70 lakh MT has been procured.

He said Punjab had set a target of procuring 180 lakh MT of paddy for the central pool during the current season. The minister also said the state had received a cash credit limit (CCL) of Rs 42,786 crore from the Centre and expressed confidence that payments to farmers for their paddy would be made on time. 

Kataruchak said the government was monitoring procurement arrangements to facilitate the smooth purchase of the crop and ensure timely payments to farmers. The paddy procurement season is currently underway across Punjab, with farmers bringing their produce to grain markets in different parts of the state.