Chandigarh, May 04,2020

As post-harvesting activities go on at full swing in the region, it is a common sight to see farmers cleaning and packing their produce at the grain markets in the states of Haryana and Punjab. A bumper wheat crop in these states is comforting news for the people of the country who are braving the COVID-19 pandemic at the moment. Grain markets like the ones in Malerkotla and Hoshiarpur of Punjab bear testimony to this fact. In the light of COVID-19, the first lockdown in the country was announced on 24 March 2020 with extensions coming one after another, the latest one extending the period of lockdown till 17 May 2020.

https://twitter.com/PIBChandigarh/status/1256107525117632512?s=09 (Grain Market in Hoshiarpur)

https://twitter.com/PIBShimla/status/1254633217920864257?s=09  (Grain Market in Malerkotla)

As farming activities continue, to protect the interest of the poor during the period of lockdown, benefits under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package have been reaching out to the poor in the region, with food and money, so that they do not face difficulties in buying essential supplies and meeting essential needs. J P Nandan Sharma from Shimla district in Himachal Pradesh said that he has got free ration as his family comes under BPL. Sushila Devi said she has received Rs 500 in her account as well as free ration and it is a good step to help the poor during these times.

  ( J P Nandan Sharma)

https://twitter.com/PIBChandigarh/status/1257181571234201601?s=09  (J P Nandan Sharma)

 

(Sushila)

https://twitter.com/PIBChandigarh/status/1257184734502809600?s=09  (Sushila Devi)

The retail shops of pesticides, fertilizer and seeds have been kept open during the lockdown period under the relaxations provided by the Government of India. A farmer from Haryana, Pradeep, said that these are available to the farmers at reasonable rates. Their availability is helping the farmers in the timely cultivation of the crops. Fully cognizant of the difficulties being faced by daily wagers and the unemployed, activities under MNREGA have also been resumed in the states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. 

    (Pradeep, Haryana)

https://twitter.com/PIBChandigarh/status/1256912256044019712  (Pradeep, Haryana)

https://twitter.com/PIBChandigarh/status/1257177720892481537?s=09 (MNREGA activities in Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh)

    (MNREGA activities at Narnaul)

 

https://twitter.com/PIBChandigarh/status/1256835948828114944?s=09  

(MNREGA activities in Narnaul, Haryana)

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DP/PS/HR

 

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