Jammu: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today e-launched 20 Paddy Procurement Centres (Mandis) in Jammu, Samba, and Kathua districts.
The step has been taken to ensure timely sale of paddy and remunerative prices to the farmers. In a first, the Government of J&K has started procuring wheat in addition to paddy, reads a communiqué issued by DPR Section Raj Bhavan.
Speaking at the launch, the Lt Governor said the amount of sale proceeds will be directly credited into the accounts of the farmers through DBT within 72 hours.
The Lt Governor assured the farmers that the number of e-Mandis will be increased further in future, and reiterated the commitment of the Government to provide all possible assistance to the farmers to increase their income. “Contrary to the rumours being spread by certain section with vested interests, I assure the farmers that the number of these Mandis will be increased further in future,” he said.
The Lt Governor said that the use of technology has enabled all these Mandis to get linked digitally with the procurement portal, so that the Food Corporation of India can register the farmers on the portal and transfer money to their accounts through DBT within 72 hours.
The Lt Governor said the initiative would eliminate middlemen and end distress sales. He also directed the Deputy Commissioners and other revenue officers to provide land record documents to the farmers on priority. “I have been informed that advance registration has started on the online portal. For the convenience of the farmers, revenue authorities should start providing the land record documents to the farmers,” the Lt Governor said.
Complementing the farmers of J&K for taking a lead in the country with 70 quintals per hectare production of paddy during the last harvest, he said that this time also our farmer will set new records in per hectare production. He also exhorted the farmers to diversify their crops and adopt new techniques for enhanced productivity.
“The Lt Governor further said that it is the dream of Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the existing government machinery should solve every issue of the farmers pertaining to the purchase of products. Agricultural reforms introduced by the government will connect farmers directly to the market and eliminate middlemen,” he added.
The Lt Governor informed that under PM KISAN, the assistance of Rs 1,721 crore has been provided by the central government to the farmers of Jammu and Kashmir, thus providing huge relief to them during the Corona epidemic.
The Lt Governor said that UT administration is committed and steadfast for the welfare of farmers. The farmers’ welfare programs that are being implemented will speed up the process of qualitative and quantitative changes in rural J&K, doubling the income of our farmers.
We have done away with the anti-farmer, anti-people policies. We will ensure that whatever best is possible will be done to make the lives of our farmers better, he said.
Farooq Khan, Advisor to the Lt Governor; Navin Kumar Choudhary, Principal Secretary, Agriculture Production & Farmers Welfare; Dr. Raghav Langer, Divisional Commissioner Jammu; Deputy Commissioners, Director Agriculture, and other senior officers, besides a large number of farmers were present on the occasion, in person and through virtual mode.
