The Fact News Service
Chandigarh, August 12
The Group of Ministers (GoM) comprising Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak, Transport Minister Transport and Jails Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar and Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal which has been constituted to ensure hassle free procurement of Wheat & Paddy today held comprehensive meeting with the Palledars doing loading work in the mandis of the State.
Reiterating that the State Government led by the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann stands fully committed for the welfare of all the stakeholders connected with the procurement operations, the GoM said that the palledars would get an increase in the SOR rates before the next Wheat procurement season. The GoM also added that in the tender document it would be made mandatory for the contractors to insert the condition of getting life insurance of labourers done.
Assuring the palledars that the Punjab Government stands shoulder to shoulder with the palledars with regard to their demands such as increasing their rates every year and giving direct work as well as payments to them and removing the contractor as intermediary, the Group of Ministers divulged that a number of these demands are related to the Union Government and FCI and the State Government is emphatically taking up these demands with them
With regard to the basic sanitation facilities in the mandis to the labourers in the godowns , the Group of Ministers said that no stone would be left unturned to ensure the same.
The Palledar Unions representatives on their part expressed gratitude to the Group of Ministers and announced to end their strike.
Among others present on the occasion included the Principal Secretary Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Rahul Tiwari, Director Varinder Kumar Sharma, Secretary Punjab Mandi Board Ramvir, Additional Secretary PUNGRAIN Kamal Kumar Garg and Additional Director Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Dr. Anjuman Bhaskar.
