Nod to ₹22,936-cr CCL, Punjab to pay farmers through arhtiyas

CHANDIGARH: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday cleared Rs 22,936 crore towards the cash credit limit (CCL) for Punjab for the purchase of wheat in the rabi marketing season.

With this sanction for the month of April, the central bank has released bulk of the CCL of Rs 26,064 crore sought the state government for the purchase of 135 lakh metric tonne (MT) of wheat this season. Chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh had on Wednesday written to Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman seeking her intervention to direct the RBI for expeditious authorisation of CCL for the coming rabi season.

“The state is facing unprecedented crisis due to lockdown in view of Covid-19 pandemic and procurement of rabi crop, which was due to begin on April 1, 2020, will now start on April 15 and this will be possible only if the RBI issues CCL authorisation,” he wrote.

The CCL release would facilitate the Punjab government in making timely payments to farmers against wheat purchase in the rabi marketing season.

Meanwhile, Amarinder asked the agriculture and food department to work out ways to procure wheat grain from within the villages that are located more than 1-2 kilometres from the mandis, to check overcrowding during the rabi season in view of Covid-19 restrictions. The CM was reviewing the wheat harvesting and marketing arrangements through a video conference with officials.

‘AMEND RULES, KEEP DBT IN ABEYANCE’

Amarinder also directed his chief principal secretary Suresh Kumar to get the rules amended to provide for payment to farmers through arhtiyas, saying that any changes in the system, including direct bank transfers, should be put in abeyance in the current circumstances. The system of direct transfer to farmers was to be commenced from this season, as was pointed out by food and civil supplies secretary KAP Sinha.

The CM set up a committee of senior officers to monitor essential supplies on a day to day basis. He directed state police chief Dinkar Gupta to take strict action against those found guilty of hoarding of material.

THE CCL RELEASE WILL FACILITATE THE PUNJAB GOVERNMENT IN MAKING TIMELY PAYMENTS TO FARMERS FOR WHEAT PURCHASE