The stalled government procurement of paddy in Punjab will begin tomorrow

After nearly a week of disruption, paddy procurement in Punjab will resume on Friday following a decisive meeting between Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and representatives of Aarti associations on Thursday.

The commission agents, known as Aartis, had been on strike demanding clearance of pending payments and simplification of procurement procedures. Their protest had brought grain market operations to a standstill and raised concerns among farmers as the harvest season peaked.

In Thursday’s meeting, the state government assured the Aarti unions that payment delays and procedural bottlenecks would be addressed. Following the assurance, union representatives agreed to withdraw their strike, allowing procurement agencies to restart paddy lifting across all mandis from October 10.

Leaders from the United Farmers’ Front (Sanyukt Kisan Morcha) also attended the discussions, pressing officials to ensure uninterrupted operations. District administrations have since been directed to deploy staff at local markets to facilitate purchases without delay.

Sheller owners, who had ended their separate protest earlier this week, have also resumed operations, easing pressure on grain storage facilities. State officials said efforts are underway to streamline the payment system and prevent future bottlenecks in the procurement chain.