Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday batted for further promotion of inter-state trade for the remunerative price of produce to farmers on oneꦯ hand and supply of quali✱ty products at affordable price to people on the other.
Mann stated this while chairing a meeting with chairmen and managing directors of mandi boards of several states here, according to an official statement♉.
Mann said all the states must join their hand꧙s in developing a common platform to buy and sell commodities.
This is the need of the hour to safeguard the interests of both con꧑sumers and farmers, said Mann, adding that this will ensure the availability of the best products to people and remunerative price ওof produce to farmers.
He said, “When the entire world has emerged as a single market, unnecessary shackles within the states regarding production and mark🎃eting of produce should be removed.”
This 'farm to fork' approach and availability of goods within all the statꦇes wilꦆl immensely benefit consumers and farmers in a big way.
It is imperative t൩o adopt this approach to ensure that farmers get their profit, Mann said.
Due to ever escalating cཧost of farm inputs and lower returns, agriculture is no longer a profitable venture, said Mannꦦ.
If the idea of a common platform for marketing of produce is evolved, it ꦺwill help farmers in a big way, he said.
During the meeting, Mann also explained to the visiting delegations about ജthe utilisation of rural development fund (RDF) by the state for public welfare𝓡.
However, he bemoaned that a whopping sum ofဣ Rs 5,637.4 crore of the state's RDF is still pending with the Uꩵnion government.
Despite various efforts, the Uniꦅon goveไrnment is not releasing these funds which is a grave injustice to the state, he said.
Punjab Mandi Boa♉rd, chairman, Hacrchand Singh Barsat, Goa Mandi Board, chairman, Parkash Chander Velip, Haryana Mandi Boaꦰrd, chairman, Aditya Devilal Chautala, Uttarakhand Mandi Board, managing director, Ashish Bhatgain and others were present.
-With PTI Input
