Chandigarh, April 24:In order to ensure commitment to hassle free procurement for farmers, Girish Dayalan MD Markfed, visited various Mandis in districts of Ludhiana, Moga and Ferozepur.

In Ludhiana along with Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana Ms. Sakshi Sawhney, joint visits were made to mandis in Jagraon sub-division. It was found that all efforts were being made by the district administration to ensure hassle free procurement. Overall payment made against payment due is 120% - thereby ensuring that there is no hassle to the farmers and payments were being made even before the norm of 48 hours.

The Directions were issued to agencies to continue to ensure purchase in 24 hours and payment due even before 48 hours.

In joint visit with Deputy Commissioner, Moga, Sh. Kulwant Singh, it was found that procurement work was at full throttle but that there would be some extra requirement of Bardana, which will be made available by FCI.

The progress of lifting from mandis was also sought to be made even before the norm of 72 hours to ensure availability of space for high arrivals in a short span considering that the crop cycle had been compressed this year.

In Ferozepur, with Sh. Rajesh Dhiman, Deputy Commissioner, Ferozepur, it was also seen that pace of lifting was good but still in view of the high arrivals all efforts were being made to pick it up further.

On the occasion, Directions were issued to staff of all the agencies to gear up and ensure that lifting was carried out at top priority to keep the mandis glut free and space available for the freshly harvested wheat.

It was also observed that crop quality was very good and with the produce being brought by the farmers was within the moisture norm of 12%. And in all the mandis, purchase was being carried out without any delay, and the produce was being cleaned and bagged quickly efficiently.