Bihar CM directs officials to ensure procurement of wheat through PACS

Madan Kumar | TNN | Apr 15, 2020, 23:13 IST

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar

PATNA: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday asked the state government officials to ensure maximum procurement of wheat through the primary agriculture cooperative societies (PACS) at village or panchayat level in order to provide necessary relief to farmers in this house of crisis caused due to the lockdown.
“If wheat is procured through the PACS on a large scale, the farmers will get price of their crop within their gram-panchayat. Today, each panchayat has at least one PACS. Ensure procurement of wheat on a larger scale through the PACS, so that farmers do not need to wander here and there to sale their produce,” Nitish told officials while holding a review meeting, through video conferencing, with different departments on the situation caused by the lockdown.
CM said, there was no restriction on agriculture related works due to the lockdown. “Make all necessary arrangements at the PACS level to ensure maximum procurement of wheat. Also ensure payment to farmers within stipulated period from the date of purchase,” he said.
CM further asked the water resources department (WRD) to resume all pending anti-erosion and anti-flood works on a priority basis so that such construction works are completed before the likely advent of monsoon in the mid June. “All anti-flood works should be revisited and completed before the beginning of the rainy season,” he told the WRD officials.
Nitish further asked the rural works department (RWD) and rural development department (RDD) to resume their pending projects in rural areas so that villagers could get maximum opportunity of employment. “Focus on creating employment generation in rural areas. Take up works like digging of ponds under the MGNREGS,” he said.