Chandigarh, Aug. 7 -- Punjab agriculture and farmers' welfare minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian on Wednesday ordered the chief agriculture officers (CAOs) in the cotton belt to submit bi-weekly reports on the progress and condition of the 'white gold' crop. The minister also directed the field officials to ensure completion of direct seeding of rice (DSR) field verification by August 10, so that an incentive of Rs.1,500 per acre can be directly transferred into the bank accounts of the eligible farmers.

These directions were issued during a high-level video conference meeting with the CAOs and senior officials of the department, on Wednesday. The minister also directed CAOs to regularly visit cotton fields to monitor and manage pest attacks...