To facilitate the farmers and arhtiyas (commission agents) during Kharif marketing season, beginning Sunday throughout the state, the Punjab Mandi Board has set up a State Control Room at its headquarters in Mohali for all 22 districts to promptly address the issues of farmers and arhtiyas during procurement operations in the wake of COVID-19. The Board has also issued passes to the farmers for bringing paddy in a staggered manner to the mandis.

Board chairman Lal Singh said that all necessary health protocols as well as social distancing measures would be followed in the right earnest to keep the spread of Coronavirus under check. “Requisite elaborate arrangements including availability of sanitizer, mask, hand wash, drinking water facilities have been put in place and necessary directions have already been issued to concerned authorities in this regard,” he said.

A spokesperson said that the chairman also suggested the farmers to download Mandi Board’s ‘epmb mobile app’ to get the latest information regarding Mandi activities as well as e-passes for paddy procurement. This app would be immensely beneficial for all stakeholders in the procurement of paddy amid COVID-19, added the spokesperson.

Divulging the procedure for procurement, the spokesperson said that initially farmers and arhtiyas are required to contact their Market Committee secretary with regard to any procurement related issue and if the same is not resolved, they can establish contact at said Control Room for their districts.

Giving details of the control room, the spokesperson stated that these have been established for all districts where teams of Mandi Board had been deputed to get the complaints regarding paddy procurement operations resolved. He said that the 70-member team would perform their duty in the Headquarter Control Room in two shifts from 7 AM to 8 PM during procurement season.