Haryana starts buying wheat at 500 centres

Chandigarh: Wheat procurement has started in about 500 procurement centres in Haryana and the state government expects to procure over 80 lakh tonnes of wheat this time.

Explaining the procurement process, Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala said when a farmer visits the procurement centre to sell his crop, he will get a J-form. Within 40 hours, the farmer will get payment for his crop. If the farmer is not paid within 72 hours, the government will pay 9% interest on the amount. Dushyant was talking to media persons after inaugurating the newly-constructed four-lane flyover near Gurgaon-Faridabad Road near Bandhwari village in Gurgaon.

He said this time, six crops were being procured at minimum support price (MSP). Assuring farmers that all the wheat and mustard crop would be procured, the deputy CM said the state government had made extensive provisions for procurement. For the first time, government procurement agencies have started purchasing wheat and mustard from April 1. The deputy CM said farmers were getting good prices in the open market for mustard and it was reported that in open market, mustard was being procured for Rs 5,200 to Rs 5,400 per quintal. Chautala said strict action would be taken against officials concerned if any irregularity was found in the procurement process.

He informed that an option had been given to farmers, under which 50% of them would be called by the government and 20%, could register themselves. Tokens would also be issued to such farmers. Besides, arhtiyas had also been authorised to call 30% of farmers to procurement centres, he said.