Punjab farmers paid over Rs 6000 cr

[HoneY]

The Punjab Government has made a payment of more than Rs 6000 crore to farmers
of the State for wheat procured up to April 27, 2008 even as procurement in
1,615 centres touched the 70 lakh tonne mark.

The state government has already set aside Rs. 11,176
crore for the total procurement season to ensure hassle free payment to the
farmers, an official spokesman said in Chandigarh on Monday.


He said that a sum of Rs 8000 crore
has been placed at the disposal of Food and Supply Department for the month of
April alone.

He said that a sum of
Rs 951.50 crore had been allocated to PUNGRAIN where as the MARKFED had been
allocated Rs. 1216.30 crores for wheat procurement.

PUNSUP had been allocated Rs. 1237 crore and an amount of
Rs. 590.26 crores has been placed at the disposal of PSWC.

The spokesman said that the six government agencies and
private millers had procured more than 69.67 lakh tonnes of wheat in Punjab, out
of which 67.64 lakh tonne (97.01 per cent) has been procured for the central
pool and 45195 tonne had been procured for the State pool.

The Government agencies and private millers procured more
than 69.67 lakh tonnes of wheat till Sunday evening.