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.
A senior government source told IANS: "The security at the Amritsar airport has been beefed up following the recovery of drones along the India-Pak border."
The 23-year-old son of a mechanic applied for premature retirement and the Army was quite generous in expediting his request so that he can join the course in January next year.
Cricketer-turned-politician Gautam Gambhir has shared a video on his Twitter handle and mocked the security arrangements made for the Sri Lankan team on tour in Karachi for the limited-overs series against the Men in Green.
At a time when the slowdown stories are making news across the world, the Rajasthan capital is buzzing with stories, inspired by the 'make in India' campaign, showcasing new-age entrepreneurs making and doing things differently to make a mark.
Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister and BJP President Amit Shah said here on Tuesday that after a long time, the country has got a leader who works 18 hours daily.
