DW BUREAU / Chandigarh Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday announced that his government will procure green gram (moong) from farmers at the minimum support price. The move will give impetus to crop diversification across the state and check depletion of underground water, a government statement said. According to the statement, Mann said the state government will purchase every single grain from farmers provided they sow PR-126 variety of paddy or basmati in the same field after harvesting moong crop. He said both these crops take far less time for maturity as well as require less amount of water. The chief minister said, "It is for the first time that any government has assured farmers to purchase moong on MSP. This will enable the farmers to supplement their income by sowing another crop between wheat-paddy cycle." The MSP ((Minimum Support Price) for moong is Rs 7,275 per quintal and it is being cultivated over 77,000 acres this season as compared to 50,000 acres in last year. Mann also announced that the state government will purchase basmati crop on the remunerative price to ensure market rate stabilisation and avoid any loss to farmers. This step would ultimately motivate farmers to cultivate less water-consuming varieties of paddy, including PR-126 and basmati, to check the fast depleting water table in the state, Mann said. The chief minister has already announced a financial assistance of Rs 1,500 per acre for farmers who adopt direct sowing of paddy. CHEEMA CONDEMNS ATTEMPT TO HARM VERKA'S IMAGE Punjab Cooperation Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, informed that since the name of Verka has been maliciously used to harm the brand's reputation in an old video from Turkey, the Milkfed has registered a complaint with Cyber Cell of Punjab Police under IT Act, 2000 today. Notably, an old video of 2020 from Turkey is going viral on social media platforms, where a person has been shown taking bath in milk. (editor@dailyworld.in)