Punjab Mandi Board Sets New Milestones in Development : Harchand Singh Barsat

Punjab Mandi Board Sets New Milestones in Development : Harchand Singh Barsat

Key meeting of the Board of Directors held under the chairmanship of the Punjab Mandi Board Chairman

Panchayat of Dadhera village (Samana constituency) donated 18 acres of land for the construction of a *mandi* (market yard)

Covered sheds constructed in 664 *mandis* across the state at a cost of ₹197 crore

Chandigarh 16 June ( Ranjeet Singh Dhaliwal ) : A meeting of the Board of Directors was held today at Kisan Bhawan, Chandigarh, under the chairmanship of Punjab Mandi Board Chairman Harchand Singh Barsat. During the meeting, various agenda items concerning the Mandi Board were discussed in detail. Important proposals were passed, and a decision was taken to implement them as soon as possible. Subsequently, during a press conference, Harchand Singh Barsat shared details of the historic achievements made by the Mandi Board over the past four years regarding development works and infrastructure improvements. The Chairman stated that under the leadership of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab Mandi Board is working with commitment to facilitate farmers, laborers, traders, and the general public.

Chairman Barsat specifically highlighted that the Panchayat of Dadhera village in the Samana assembly constituency has provided 18 acres of land to the Punjab Mandi Board free of cost for the construction of a *mandi*. He remarked that this *mandi* would prove to be a milestone in the economic development of the region and would generate new employment opportunities in the area. On this occasion, Barsat specially honored the representatives of Dadhera village, including Sarpanch Gurjit Singh and Panches Toti, Gurpreet Singh, Gyan Das, Gobind Singh, Gurbakhsh Singh, and Sushila Rani. Similarly, a sub-yard has been established on 19 acres, 6 kanals, and 13 marlas of land provided free of cost by the Gram Panchayat of Mehmadpur village (Samana constituency); this facility is being developed as a potato *mandi* hub. He stated that the Punjab government is undertaking the repair, modernization, and upgrading of 44,597 kilometers of link roads at a cost of approximately ₹13,339.01 crore. Additionally, road safety measures have been implemented on 13,865 kilometers of link roads at a cost of around ₹132.65 crore to help save precious lives. The modernization of 280 kilometers of village peripheral roads (*phirnis*) using CC (cement and concrete) has been completed at a cost of ₹235 crore. Furthermore, 46 narrow and damaged bridges located on the state's link roads have been upgraded at a cost of ₹20 crore.

During the 2025-26 financial year, covered sheds were constructed in 664 *mandis* (grain markets) across Punjab at a cost of ₹197 crore, and solar panels were installed in 36 *mandis* at a cost of approximately ₹24.40 crore. Concurrently, repair work on internal roads, platforms (*phads*), and sheds in various *mandis* across the state is being carried out at a cost of approximately ₹455.84 crore. To facilitate farmers, new grain markets have been established: one in Budhlada spanning 51.01 acres at a cost of approximately ₹34 crore, and another in Arniwala covering 12 acres at a cost of ₹1.14 crore.

He mentioned that by adopting modern technology, the Punjab Mandi Board has sent approximately 1 crore 'J-forms' to farmers via WhatsApp and DigiLocker between the years 2022-23 and 2025-26—an initiative for which the Board has also been honored with a national award. Additionally, 37 family members have been given jobs on compassionate grounds, while 42 Junior Engineers have been appointed through direct recruitment, and 39 clerks from the Punjab Agro Industries Corporation have been merged into the Mandi Board. He noted that a historic 10 percent hike in the wages of mandi laborers was implemented for the year 2025.

Barsat stated that auctions are being conducted for vacant plots in Punjab's mandis; since 2022, 1,661 plots worth ₹630 crore have been sold across various mandis via e-auction. He mentioned that government procurement of *Moong* (green gram) at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) was initiated during 2022-23, and procurement of maize at MSP has also commenced in six districts under a pilot project for the 2025 procurement season.

Special efforts are underway to enhance public amenities in Punjab's mandis and boost the Mandi Board's revenue. As part of this initiative, ATMs have been installed at the market committees of Rajpura, Patiala, Jalandhar City, Mahitpur, Bhagtanwala, Mansa, Boha, Bhikhi, and Tapa. Furthermore, 12 unipoles for advertising have been erected at various locations in Ludhiana and Sangrur. He informed that waste management plants have been launched in Ludhiana and Phagwara (Kapurthala) to dispose of fruit and vegetable market waste. Additionally, a maize dryer in Phuglana (Hoshiarpur)—which had been non-operational for several years—has been leased out for a five-year period.

He stated that the Punjab Mandi Board rents out mandis across the state for social events at very nominal rates, while also utilizing the covered sheds of the mandis during the off-season to provide indoor sports training to children and youth. To preserve the purity of the state's environment, the Punjab Mandi Board has planted approximately 121,299 saplings over the past four years under the 'Shaheed Bhagat Singh Haryaval Lehar,' and similar plantation drives will continue in the future. Chairman S. Harchand Singh Barsat reiterated that the Punjab Government and the Punjab Mandi Board remain fully committed to the welfare of the state's farmers, laborers, commission agents, and the general public.