A Group of Ministers (GoM) — comprising Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak, Transport and Jails Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, and Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal — convened a detailed meeting today with palledars engaged in loading work at the state’s mandis, as part of efforts to ensure smooth wheat and paddy procurement.
Reaffirming the Bhagwant Singh Mann-led government’s commitment to the welfare of all stakeholders in procurement operations, the GoM assured that palledars will receive a hike in Schedule of Rates (SOR) before the next wheat procurement season. They further stated that future tender documents will mandate contractors to provide life insurance coverage for labourers.
ਕਣਕ ਅਤੇ ਝੋਨੇ ਦੀ ਨਿਰਵਿਘਨ ਖ਼ਰੀਦ ਨੂੰ ਯਕੀਨੀ ਬਣਾਉਣ ਲਈ ਗਠਿਤ ਕੀਤੇ ਗਏ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਸਮੂਹ ਜਿਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਖੇਤੀਬਾੜੀ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਗੁਰਮੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਖੁੱਡੀਆਂ, ਖੁਰਾਕ, ਸਿਵਲ ਸਪਲਾਈ ਤੇ ਖ਼ਪਤਕਾਰ ਮਾਮਲੇ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਲਾਲ ਚੰਦ ਕਟਾਰੂਚੱਕ, ਟਰਾਂਸਪੋਰਟ ਤੇ ਜੇਲ੍ਹ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਲਾਲਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਭੁੱਲਰ ਅਤੇ ਜਲ ਸਰੋਤ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਬਰਿੰਦਰ ਕੁਮਾਰ ਗੋਇਲ ਸ਼ਾਮਲ ਹਨ, ਵੱਲੋਂ ਸੂਬੇ… pic.twitter.com/3kSvkH3Tt6
— Government of Punjab (@PbGovtIndia) August 12, 2025
Ministers Gurmeet pledged full support for demands such as annual rate hikes, direct work assignments and payments to palledars, and the removal of contractors as intermediaries. However, they clarified that several of these issues fall under the purview of the Union Government and the Food Corporation of India (FCI), and the state is actively taking them up at the appropriate level.
On the matter of basic sanitation facilities for labourers in mandis and godowns, the GoM assured that every effort will be made to address the issue.
Representatives of palledar unions thanked the ministers for their assurances and announced the end of their strike.
Senior officials, including Principal Secretary (Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs) Rahul Tiwari, Director Varinder Kumar Sharma, Punjab Mandi Board Secretary Ramvir, Additional Secretary PUNGRAIN Kamal Kumar Garg, and Additional Director (Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs) Dr. Anjuman Bhaskar, were also present at the meeting.