Punjab is expecting higher relaxation in wheat procurement specifications from the Centre as analysis of 291 samples collected by nine central teams revealed higher lustre-loss, shrivelled and damaged grain as compared to neighbouring Haryana and Rajasthan.While relaxation in uniform wheat procurement specifications has already been announced for Rajasthan and Haryana, the Punjab Government is still awaiting the easing of conditions.The report on the quality of grain tested at the Food Corporation of India labs, a copy of which is with The Tribune, shows that the central teams collected samples from 22 of 23 districts (barring Pathankot). The results put percentage of shrivelled and broken grains at 20, lustre loss was 80 per cent, while 6 per cent were found damaged.The report has recommended that relaxations may be allowed, without imposing any value cut on the MSP of Rs 2,585 per quintal.Officials in the Department of Food and Civil Supplies said the relaxations might be announced late tonight or early Friday. In April, standing wheat crop on 1.30 lakh acres was damaged due to unseasonal rainfall.While Rajasthan got up to 50 per cent relaxation for lustre loss, it was 70 per cent for Haryana. For shrivelled and broken grain, Haryana and Rajasthan got a relaxation of 15 per cent, while both states have been allowed to purchase damaged grain up to 6 per cent. <As mandis continued to be flooded with grain, a rail roko protest has also been announced for Friday by several farmer unions in Amritsar, Barnala, Sangrur, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, Moga, Patiala, Mansa, Ferozepur, Malerkotla, Pathankot, Jalandhar, Bathinda, Ludhiana, Fazilka, Muktsar and Gurdaspur.In all, 10.55 lakh metric tonnes of wheat has arrived in the mandis. Of that, 5.96 LMT has been procured so far. Today, 4.02 LMT wheat arrived in grain markets and 3.48 LMT was procured. However, only 34,459.60 LMT wheat has been lifted from the mandis.Farmers protest in BathindaBathinda: Seeking smoother procurement, activists of the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) staged a protest outside the District Administrative Complex in Bathinda. The protesters alleged that farmers were sitting in mandis with their wheat produce, but procurement was yet to begin at several places.Minister visits mandisMuktsar: Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian on Thursday visited various grain markets in the Lambi Assembly constituency to review wheat procurement arrangements. He inspected mandis at Panniwala, Midda, Alamwala, Killianwali, Lambi and Khuddian villages.He said procurement agencies had already begun purchasing wheat in the mandis and assured farmers that they would not face any inconvenience.