DW BUREAU Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma on Monday said that the Punjab government led by Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi was committed for ensuring smooth and hassle free procurement of the paddy in the on-going season to facilitate the farmers. The Deputy Commissioner, who reviewed the on-going procurement of paddy in the district here today, said that the state government would lift every single grain of paddy in a smooth and hassle free manner, during the on-going procurement season. He said that the district administration had made elaborate arrangements to ensure that the harvest of farmers was lifted from the grain markets promptly adding that farmer would not be allowed to face any sort of problem while selling their produce. Sharma said that all the Sub Divisional Magistrates and chiefs of the all procurement agencies have been asked to personally supervise the paddy procurement operations. Deputy Commissioner said that the district administration has so far procured 82726 metric ton (MT) paddy from grain markets in this procurement season that started on October 3. Sharma said that till to date, a total of 90996 MT of paddy has arrived in the markets out of which 82726 MT has already been procured by various procurement agencies including Pungrain, Markfed, Punsup, Punjab State Warehouse Corporation and FCI. He said that payments worth Rs 117.85 crore have also been made to the farmers, he added. The Deputy Commissioner said that around 17.53 lakh MT paddy was expected to arrive in the grain markets. He said that 17.28 lakh paddy was procured in the district in last procurement season. He said that elaborate arrangements were made for the prompt lifting of the food grains from the grain markets. He also appealed to the farmers to restrain from burning paddy straw, which causes a major environmental hazard. (editor@dailyworld.in)