Jalandhar: Lifting set to begin, grain markets not quite ready for wheat arrival

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, April 5

With the arrival of wheat set to commence soon in mandis, many grain markets in the district remain unclean, lacking even basic amenities like potable water and electricity. Despite assurances of smooth procurement, a visit to the grain markets revealed that the administration has a tough job at hand.

The state of Jalandhar grain market is dire, resembling more of a dumping ground than a functional hub. Piles of garbage could be seen littered both inside and outside the mandi, and on the road leading to it. Moreover, the main road to the grain market is in a pitiful state, riddled with potholes. Besides, uprooted signboards further underscore the lack of preparedness. The presence of stray animals, including cattle and dogs, compounds the issue, posing additional challenges.

Arrangements in place

Arrangements have been put in place to support farmers. Procurement agencies and arhtiyas have been instructed to keep tarpaulins ready to handle adverse weather conditions. —- Himanshu Aggrawal, Deputy Commissioner, Jalandhar

In villages, the farmers complained that the grain markets lack drinking water, clean toilets and electricity. At the Adampur grain market, the presence of cow dung cakes and strewn garbage pointed to the failure of the authorities in getting the place cleaned on time. Similar is the story of the grain market in Nakodar.

Salwinder Singh, a farmer, mentioned that the wheat procurement season commenced officially on Monday. However, in certain districts like Jalandhar, procurement has been delayed due to recent rain and hailstorms.

He said the administration should have prepared the mandis and ensured cleanliness beforehand. He lamented that it’s a recurring issue where cleaning begins only after farmers complain about unsanitary conditions during the procurement process. Furthermore, he highlighted the lack of arrangements to drain rainwater whenever it rains during the procurement season, leading to difficulties for farmers.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal said that all these issues have already been taken up by him. He said during his recent visit to the Jalandhar mandi, he instructed the officials concerned to resolve all problems across every mandi in the district.

Aggarwal emphasised that there is still time before procurement begins, assuring that these issues will be resolved promptly. He reiterated that comprehensive arrangements have been put in place to support farmers, including provisions for clean drinking water, floodlights, adequate supply of gunny bags, and sufficient number of toilets. “Additionally, all procurement agencies/arhtiyas have been instructed to keep tarpaulins ready in advance to handle any adverse weather conditions,” he added.