Chandigarh, April 11 (IANS) As the wheat arrivals surge across agrarian state Punjab, the total purchase of wheat has created a record in five years, officials said on Monday.
Government agencies have procured 4.3 lakh metric tons of wheat till April 10, against the earlier highest peak of 38,019 metric tons in 2018.
An official told IANS this year the government has ensured that minimum support price (MSP) payments of Rs 138 crore transferred directly into bank accounts of farmers, whereas the earlier high was Rs 6.5 crore in year 2017.
Terming the record-breaking figures a result of the good arrangements, he said the state government was committed to welfare of the farmers and would continue to take all possible steps to facilitate them.
The Central government has fixed the minimum support price of wheat at Rs 2,015 per quintal.
The government aims to purchase 132 lakh tonnes of wheat this season. The procurement of wheat, which began on April 1, will continue till May 31.
"The office of the Commissioner for NRI Affairs Goa is already in touch with the Consulate General of India, Houston, USA for seeking their assistance for bringing the mortal remains of late John Dias to Goa, so that his family can have the funeral in Goa," he added.
He asked farmers to "fight" to cancel the bail given to Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni's son, Ashish Mishra, who was accused of mowing down four farmers and a journalist with his convoy during the violence.
Of the 15 most polluted cities in Central and South Asia in 2021, 12 were in India. New Delhi saw a 14.6 per cent increase in PM2.5 concentration in 2021, 96.4 Ig/m3, up from 84 Ig/m3 in 2020.
According to officials, the gang has been operating for the past several years and has duped nearly 700 girls across the country, including in Madhya Pradesh and New Delhi.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday announced the services of 35,000 group 'C' and 'D' contractual and outsourcing employees in government departments would be regularised.
As the police began enquiring about the matter, it was found that at the time of incident, the mother was alone at the house with her 3-year-old son and her infant daughter.
