Punjab CM directs DCs to take all steps for hassle-free harvesting and marketing of wheat
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday directed the Deputy Commissioners to take all the necessary steps to ensure hassle-free harvesting and marketing of wheat, amid coronavirus outbreak and curfew restrictions in the state.
During a review video Conference, Captain Amarinder Singh asked the DCs to ensure micro-level planning to ensure seamless farm operations and maintenance of the supply chain of food at the field level. The Chief Minister also said that a detailed advisory had already been issued by the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department in this regard.
Elaborate arrangements were being made to harvest and procure every single grain of wheat, Captain Amarinder Singh assured the farmers while directing the ACS Development to further ramp up the machinery for the ensuing harvest and marketing of wheat, and other summer field crops apart from the horticulture produce.
During the meeting, DC Ferozepur requested that the BSF personnel be provided the 400 PPE kits they had asked for to undertake physical checks of farmers who had landed across the fence and were not currently being allowed to go there.
According to the advisory issued by ACS Development on April 2, the DCs have been asked to ensure adequate availability and supply of farm inputs for the sowing season with a focus on ensuring the free movement of farmers and farm labour for agriculture operation of harvesting and sowing thereafter.
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The DCs have also been asked to ensure free movement of farm operation machinery including tractors, trolleys, combined harvesters, other harvesting machinery and transport vehicles for carrying the farm produce, tilling and sowing implements, etc. They have been further asked to permit operations of the farm machinery repair workshops and the related spare parts shops, besides allowing the sale of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides and their adequate availability.
-PTC News
