Punjab government is facing serious problem of storage of new wheat crop estimated to be 115 lakh tonnes as huge old stocks of foodgrains are already lying in storage houses and need to be moved out. Stating this here today, Punjab Mandi Board chairman Ajmer Singh Lakhowal said chief minister Parkash Singh Badal would soon meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his personal intervention in shifting the existing stock of 68 lakh tonnes of wheat and about 46 lakh tonnes of rice from the state to other states to solve the storage problem.
He said the state government proposed to construct scientific storage facility of at least 25 lakh tonnes capacity. The chief minister had also directed food and supplies minister Adesh Partap Singh Kairon to intensify the efforts to seek Centre's clearance for this new project.
Lakhowal said Punjab expected procurement of 115 lakh tonnes of wheat during the current season and had set up 1,769 purchase centers for the purpose.
He said new wheat crop has started arriving in Punjab mandis and 70 tonnes of wheat had arrived in Patiala and Mohali districts of the state on Wednesday.
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