AMRITSAR: Nearly 33 per cent of the total wheat crop procured by different state and Central government procurement agencies has not been lifted from different grain markets of the district.
The slow lifting process resulted in trouble for arhtiyas and labourers at grain markets as the area received substantial rain in the morning on Thursday.
The state procurement agencies — Pungrain, Punsup, Punjab Warehouse, Markfed, Central government agency and Food Corporation of India — has so far procured around 5,70,901 tonnes of wheat crop. However, a total of 1,87,763 tonnes was not lifted till Wednesday evening.
As per the figures procured from the Mandi Board, around 53,284 tonnes out of the total 1,51, 893 procured by Pungrain; 20,121 tonnes out of 82,067 tonnes procured by FCI; 34,869 tonnes out of 1,23,150 tonnes procured by Markfed; 43,861 tonnes out of 1,17,083 procured by Punsup; and 35,628 tonnes out of 93,138 tonnes procured by Punjab warehouse are yet to be lifted.
Workers at the Bhagtanwala grain market were seen draining out water from low-lying areas of the market. Rain not only drenched the wheat bag lying in the open but also unsold grains were also soaked in water.
A worker said, “The wet grains would have to be dried before weighing otherwise they would start to rot. We would have to work extra.”
He added that as most of the harvested crop had already arrived in markets, their major work was now loading it onto trucks for the godowns. Other workers stated that the pace with which trucks were coming to shift the stock seemed that to have receded in the past few days. The grains soaked in water are vulnerable to damage and discolouring.
Meanwhile, long queues of trucks waiting for unloading can be seen outside warehouses of different procurement agencies.
“The agencies have been asked to expedite the work but they are facing problems as unloading at godowns take time and trucks are held there for days,” said a food and civil supplies official.