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 Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has communicated to the Punjab Government its decision to commute the death sentence of Babbar Khalsa terrorist Balwant Singh Rajoana, one of the main conspirators behind the assassination of former Chief Minister Beant Singh.
He was responding to a request from a group of NRIs who came for the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of first Sikh master Guru Nanak Dev in Jalandhar city on Monday.
There have been any number of books on Sikhs, their valour, their customs and their culture but what makes the present work a standout is that within 250 pages it encompasses not only their history
"The visit of Guru Nanak Devji in 1510-11 A.D. to have darshan of Lord Ram's birthplace does support the faith and belief of the Hindus," said the anonymous judge who believed that faith of the Hindus was important.
