Chandigarh: Punjab’s Minister Incharge for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Lal Chand Kataruchak, has urged officers and employees of the department to work round the clock to ensure a smooth paddy procurement season. He emphasized that, given the ongoing flood situation in the state, adequate medical facilities must be arranged at mandis located in flood-affected areas.
During a review meeting at Anaj Bhawan, attended by senior officials and connected via video conference with District Food Supply Controllers (DFSCs), the Minister was informed that arrangements are being made to procure 190 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) of paddy. This exceeds the target set by the Department of Food Production and Distribution, Government of India, which stands at 173.13 LMT.
Punjab currently has 5,049 rice mills, and the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for paddy has been fixed at Rs. 2,389 per quintal. To ensure adequate storage space, the state government is coordinating with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and the central government for the movement of at least 10 LMT of wheat per month over the next three months. The Custom Milling Policy 2025-26 was notified on September 8, 2025, and the process of allotting rice mills and linking them with mandis is underway.
The Punjab Mandi Board has notified 1,823 regular purchase centers for the current procurement season. Regarding financial arrangements, a Cash Credit Limit (CCL) of Rs. 49,987 crore is required. The Reserve Bank of India has authorized Rs. 15,018 crore for September, with the remaining limit expected to be granted later this month.
Officials also highlighted that the e-KYC of 1.3 crore beneficiaries under the free ration scheme has been completed. In terms of logistics, Punjab has received 4.21 lakh gunny bales, with an additional 39,000 bales in transit from Kolkata, alongside 60,000 bales from previous seasons. The supply of 47,500 tarpaulins is also planned.
Present at the review meeting were Director Barinder Kumar Sharma, Additional Secretary PUNGRAIN Kamal Kumar Garg, Additional Director Dr. Anjuman Bhaskar, Ajayveer Singh Sarao, and GM (Finance) Sarvesh Sharma, among others.
