Tenders issued during SAD-BJP rule scrapped

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 20

The state government has cancelled all labour and transportation tenders issued during the tenure of the previous SAD-BJP government for the upcoming wheat procurement season. It has invited fresh tenders, while directing the DCs to personally supervise the procurement process beginning April 1.

After a meeting of DCs and SSPs, chaired by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, an official spokesperson said the fresh tenders could be submitted till 5 pm on March 24, and would be opened the next day by the respective committees headed by the DC of the district concerned. The entire tendering process would be completed by March 31, before the two-month procurement process kicks off on April 1.

In case re-tendering is required for any reason, the process shall be finalised by the District Tender Allotment Committee (headed by deputy commissioners) by March 31, said the spokesperson.

During the meeting held at Punjab Bhawan, the Chief Minister directed all DCs to put in place a mechanism and supervise the process to ensure smooth and hassle-free wheat procurement.

He also ordered all-out efforts by the officers to ensure timely procurement of every single grain of wheat from the farmers, who have suffered a harrowing time last year as a result of the “ill-conceived agricultural policy of the SAD-BJP regime”.

He directed the officers to have proper facilities of drinking water and toilets for the labourers working in the grain markets. The Mandi Board, Punjab, has been directed to make necessary arrangements such as cleaning of mandis, electricity, moisture meter, tarpaulin with arhtiyas, crates, power cleaners, fans, generators etc. in all mandis by March 24. As many as 1,828 purchase centres have been notified by the Mandi Board.

The grain markets have been allotted to six procurement agencies — Pungrain, Markfed, Punsup, Punjab State Warehousing Corporation, Punjab Agro Foodgrain Corporation and the Food Corporation of India (FCI), as per the share allocated to them by the state government. The agencies will procure an estimated 122 lakh metric tonnes of wheat during this procurement season.