Chief Minister’s Visits Grain Markets…..

 Chief Minister’s Visits Grain Markets in Bassi Pathana and Morinda…….

61.01 Lakh Metric Tonnes of Paddy Purchased So Far in the State, Rs 13073 Crore Paid to Farmers—Chief Minister

Chief Minister Demands Relaxation in Paddy Procurement Norms from Central Government in View of Floods

Visits Grain Markets in Bassi Pathana and Morinda, Reiterate Commitment to Purchase and Lift Every Single Grain of Paddy

Bassi Pathana/Morinda, October 23

Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann today called on the Indian government to loosen the rules governing the acquisition of paddy, citing the harm that floods had caused to the state’s paddy crop.

The Chief Minister stated that the devastating floods in the state had forced farmers to suffer significant losses while reviewing the ongoing paddy procurement activity at the grain markets of Bassi Pathana and Morinda today. As the moisture content, damaged, and discoloured grains have increased in the paddy, he added, the Indian government should loosen the regulations for paddy acquisition in light of the harm that the weather has caused to farmers.

Since reports show that paddy has been destroyed and grains have become discoloured in several flood-affected areas, Bhagwant Singh Mann stated that he has already asked the Central Government to meet this urgent demand of the state’s farmers.

The chief minister added that Punjab is still anticipated to deliver 170 lakh metric tonnes of paddy to the national food supply, despite the state’s severe flooding. He claimed that in order to guarantee that every grain produced by the diligent efforts of Punjabi farmers gets bought, significant arrangements have been established in the marketplaces.

According to Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Department of Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs, Punjab, has assigned all 1,822 buy centres that the Punjab government has announced for the procurement of paddy during the Kharif Marketing Season, 2025–2026.

The Chief Minister told reporters that 61.01 lakh metric tonnes of paddy had already been bought out of the 63.49 lakh metric tonnes of paddy that had landed in the state’s markets thus far. He said that after 72 hours of acquisition, 91.80% of the purchased shares had been removed from the exchanges. Bhagwant Singh Mann added that farmers had received a total payment of Rs 13073.07 crore in relation to the purchase of paddy.

The Chief Minister stated that the markets’ procurement process is proceeding smoothly as a result of the state government’s efforts. According to him, every effort is being made to make it easier for farmers to sell their produce so that they don’t have to deal with any difficulties at the markets. According to Bhagwant Singh Mann, the state government’s efforts have made it possible to guarantee the prompt and quick removal of the product from the markets while also paying farmers within a day for the produce’s purchase.

When asked another question, the Chief Minister vehemently denounced the Central Government for acting like a stepmother to the state in this dire crisis. According to him, the state is yet to receive the Rs 1600 crore that the prime minister had promised for flood relief. The Central Government should put an end to this abuse of the state, according to Bhagwant Singh Mann. According to him, Punjab is regarded as the nation’s food supplier and shield (Kharkh-bhuja).

According to the chief minister, his government’s top five objectives are infrastructure, water, power, health, and education, and every effort is being made to meet these goals. According to Bhagwant Singh Mann, the state government has given these five sectors top importance, despite the fact that other political parties have consistently supported the goal of hatred and division. He stated that Schools of Eminence have been created around the state by the state government to deliver quality education to pupils.