Punjab's Urgent Mandi Makeover: A Race Against Time for Paddy Procurement Post-Floods

With the crucial paddy procurement season just around the corner, Punjab is embarking on an ambitious and urgent five-day special drive to restore its flood-battered agricultural markets, commonly known as mandis. This proactive initiative, beginning today, is a testament to the state's commitment to ensuring a seamless and hassle-free experience for its farmers, who have already endured significant hardships due to recent devastating floods.

The clock is ticking for the state administration and various procurement agencies as paddy procurement is officially set to commence on October 1.

The floods left a trail of destruction, severely impacting infrastructure, including many of these vital market hubs. Mandis across several districts, notably Amritsar, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Moga, Patiala, Rupnagar, Sangrur, and Tarn Taran, bore the brunt of the deluge, requiring immediate attention to be operational by the deadline.

The comprehensive restoration drive is not merely about cosmetic repairs; it's an all-encompassing effort to fully reactivate these economic lifelines.

Teams are diligently working to clear debris, remove silt, and thoroughly clean the market premises. Essential repairs to damaged structures are underway, alongside ensuring robust lighting systems are in place. Crucially, the drive focuses on restoring and verifying the functionality of basic amenities such as drinking water facilities, farmers' sheds, proper approach roads, and a reliable electricity supply.

The meticulous planning extends to the operational aspects as well.

Procurement agencies have been instructed to identify and mark specific areas within the mandis for stacking paddy, ensuring efficient space utilization. Furthermore, the district administration is actively engaged in ensuring the smooth movement of procurement vehicles and setting up convenient parking facilities to avoid bottlenecks.

This emergency restoration mission underscores the Punjab government's unwavering dedication to its farming community.

The primary goal is to prevent any distress sales by farmers who might otherwise be forced to sell their produce at lower prices if mandis are not fully functional. By guaranteeing a smooth procurement process, the state aims to ensure farmers receive fair prices for their hard-earned produce, providing a much-needed boost after a challenging season.

The collaborative efforts of the food, civil supply, and consumer affairs department, alongside the mandi board and other procurement agencies, are pivotal to achieving this critical objective.