Terms Arhtiyas As Backbone Of State Economy
Chandigarh: The Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led Punjab Government stands totally committed to undertake every measure for raising the living standard of each section of the society besides ensuring redressal of their problems. These views were expressed here today by the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Mr. Lal Chand Kataruchak while presiding over a meeting with the Federation of the Arhtiya Association of Punjab at Punjab Bhawan.
The Minister reiterated that the State Government is duty bound to help the arhtiyas in every possible way as they are very intricately connected with the farming community which is the core of State’s economic structure. The Minister divulged that preparations for ensuring a successful Kharif Marketing Season beginning this October are on war footing and assured that no section associated with the procurement process especially the arhtiyas, would be made to encounter any difficulty. He further said that the State Government is also committed to procure every single grain of the produce of farmers on the MSP.
Disclosing more, Mr. Kataruchak said that a tracking system would be fitted into the trucks bringing the produce into the mandis so as to make sure that nobody from outside the State is able to sell its produce. The Minister also assured sympathetic consideration to the demands put forward by the arhtiya association such as keeping them out of the ambit of EPF, Payment of their dues worth Rs. 28 crore lying with the FCI and streamlining the Release Order (R.O.) system.
Among others present on the occasion included the Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Gurkirat Kirpal Singh, Director Ghansham Thori, Joint Director Dr. Anjuman Bhaskar, General Manager FCI Hemant Kumar Jain and President of the association Vijay Kalra.
