Haryana CM Khattar takes stock of wheat procurement at Gharaunda

Tribune News Service

Karnal, April 10

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Agriculture Minister JP Dalal visited the grain market here today to take stock of the ongoing wheat procurement process.

The CM checked and inspected heaps of wheat grains lying at the place and interacted with farmers. He directed the officials concerned to ensure the timely lifting of the grains, along with checking the quality of the grains as well as their moisture content.

Delay in purchase irks farmers

• Farmers of the district are resentful over the delay in the procurement of wheat by the government agencies. Many farmers complain that the purchase of mustard has also been halted.
• “Trailers laden with our produce are parked in our villages and around the mandis. The inclement weather has hit the yield of crops and now the delay in procurement is causing us more trouble,” laments Satish, a farmer of Baland village in Rohtak district.

Khattar assured the farmers that he had raised the issue of high moisture in the grains due to the untimely rainfall and the hailstorm with the Union Agriculture Minister.

Accompanied by the Gharaunda MLA Harvinder Kalyan, the CM also checked the moisture content in grains and said the procurement of wheat crops was underway smoothly.

Crops had suffered some damage due to rainfall, which had also delayed the arrival in the grain markets. “Usually, wheat crops start arriving from March 25 in the grain markets, but this year, this got delayed due to rainfall. Crops have suffered 10-20 per cent losses. A special girdawari is being conducted. The loss will also be judged after the arrival in the grain markets,” the CM said.

Former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda also visited the Gharaunda grain market around 4 pm and demanded that the government should relax the norms of moisture in wheat grains and ensure complete procurement of wheat arriving in the grain markets.

Agriculture Minister Dalal said the government would procure each and every grain of wheat and the payment would be transferred to the accounts of the farmers within 72 hours after procurement.

The Agriculture Minister also said that the procurement was going on smoothly.

Relax moisture norms, says Hooda

Karnal: Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda expressed displeasure over the non-procurement of wheat in various grain markets of the state. He said wheat was not being procured citing moisture and discolouring of grains. “The government should ensure the procurement of the grains by relaxing the moisture norms,” Hooda said while interacting with mediapersons.

Road blocked

Kaithal: Farmers, under the banner of the Bhartiya Kisan Union on Monday morning blocked the road outside grain market for over an hour over the non-procurement of wheat crop.

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