Chandigarh, Oct. 19 -- Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday directed senior IAS officers and administrative secretaries of various departments to ensure that the ongoing procurement of paddy was carried out in a smooth and hassle-free manner during the festive season. Chairing a meeting with IAS officers at his residence, the CM said that as of Friday, 38.65 LMT of paddy had arrived in mandis, out of which 37.20 LMT had already been purchased. He said in line with the state government's norm to ensure lifting within 72 hours of procurement, an impressive 100% lifting had been achieved. The chief minister further shared that payments totaling Rs.7,472.20 crore had already been made to farmers for the procured grains. Reiterating the state government's firm commitment to procuring every single grain of paddy, the CM said he was personally monitoring the entire procurement process to ensure that farmers did not face any inconvenience. Chief secretary KAP Sinha and other senior officers of the state government were also present in the meeting....