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Food & Supplies Inspectors protest over ‘Wheat Season Challenges’; Demand policy reforms Ferozepur, March 27, 2025: The Inspectorate Food Supplies Union staged protests across all districts of Punjab, demanding urgent resolutions to challenges faced during the wheat procurement season. Led by union representatives, the protests highlighted inefficiencies in wheat lifting, shortcomings in digital tracking, and issues with storage infrastructure, demanding reforms in the existing policy. Ankit Batta, President of the Ferozepur district union, pointed out that with mechanization, wheat arrivals in markets are completed within 10-12 days, and purchases are finalized within 15 days. However, the lifting process lags significantly, taking at least a month. Despite various constraints like storage capacity, labour, Clause 12 of the 2025-26 Wheat Purchase Policy mandates that wheat must be lifted from markets and transported within 72 hours, an impossible target, according to inspectors. The union demanded the removal of this clause, warning of intensified protests if their request is ignored. Union leaders also raised issues with the Anaj Kharid app, which is used to record wheat transactions. They claimed that when a truck arrives at the warehouse and its weight is found to be lower than recorded, the shortage is not deducted from the commission agent (Arhtiya). Instead, the system still reflects the full weight, leading to accountability problems. They demanded an urgent update to the app to ensure that shortages are properly recorded against commission agents, preventing undue blame on inspectors. Additionally, the union sought clarity on who will be held responsible for wheat shortages resulting from delayed lifting. The inspectors further criticized the department for failing to address essential storage requirements. Despite efforts to repair and rent crates, only 35-40% of the required number has been secured.: The covers from 2022 have deteriorated, and only a limited number were provided last year. With 80-90% of wheat stored in the open, inspectors refused to be held liable for any damage. Field staff have been penalized for late dispatch documents, even though the Food Corporation of India (FCI) was responsible for delays. The union demanded immediate reversal of these recoveries. If these grievances are not resolved, the Inspectorate Food Supplies Union has warned of escalating protests, urging the Punjab government to take swift action.
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