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.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said that Kartarpur was ready to welcome the Sikh pilgrims from India to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev - the founder of Sikhism.
A bag with suspected RDX contents was found at the Delhi airport in the early hours of Friday, leading to restrictions in passenger movements for a couple of hours, officials said.
Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Puri and former cricketer Kapil Dev are among 490 Punjabis who will be honoured during the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak.
Speaking to a newspaper, the 82-year-old Engineer, who played 46 Tests for India, ridiculed the credentials of India’s five-member selection panel, led by MSK Prasad and comprising Sarandeep Singh and Jatin Paranjpe, Gagan Khoda and Devang Gandhi.
