Over Rs 5,300 Crore Paid To 1.8 Lakh Farmers In One Day: Punjab Government

The Punjab government paid Rs 5,334 crore to over 1.8 lakh farmers under the minimum support price, or MSP, guarantee in a single day on Friday, the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Bhagwant Mann government said in a statement today.

Another Rs 1,500 crore has been approved for payment in this procurement season and would be released once the banks open tomorrow, Punjab Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak said in the statement.

The minister said the AAP government made the payments owing to the commitment made by Mr Mann to farmers for hassle-free paddy procurement.

Mr Kataruchak said the state has bought 144 tonnes of paddy in this season till yesterday.

So far, a total of Rs 25,425 crore has been credited into the bank accounts of 6.5 lakh farmers under the MSP scheme till Friday, the minister said.

"The state government will purchase every single grain produced with the sweat and toil of farmers," Mr Kataruchak said.

Rahul Bhandari, the Principal Secretary of Food and Civil Supplies, said MSP payments have been made seamlessly.

Mr Bhandari said almost all paddy has been procured and transported from the Majha belt, and most of the crop arrivals are now concentrated in the Malwa belt.

More than 98 per cent of paddy procured 72 hours ago has been transported, according to reports from the districts, the officer said.