Principal Secretary reviews operations at grain market

Principal Secretary Vijayendra Kumar held a meeting with officials at the Kalanwali grain market on Friday to review crop arrivals, transport, and facilities in the district’s grain markets. After the meeting, he inspected the market, checking the moisture levels in the sacks of rice, and addressed the issues raised by farmers, labourers and commission agents.

So far, 5,023 metric tonnes of rice have arrived in the district’s markets. Kumar urged officials to speed up crop lifting to avoid congestion in markets. He instructed transport and labour contractors to ensure no delays take place in lifting of crops, warning of strict legal action against anyone causing disruptions.

Accompanied by Deputy Commissioner Shantanu Sharma, SDM Suresh Ravish, and other officials, Kumar emphasised timely payments to farmers and efficient monitoring of the buying process. He stressed the importance of providing basic amenities like clean water, toilets, and sanitation to farmers. Additionally, he called for swift action to prevent crops from being damaged in case of rain and ensure there were enough sacks for packing.

Kumar also urged the commission agents to fully cooperate in the rice purchasing process to ensure farmers face no difficulties. He instructed officials to minimise waiting time for farmers and to keep monitoring the process closely. Ensuring timely payments to farmers was highlighted as a top priority.