Telangana Chief Minister directs officials to speed up procurement of paddy

Chief Minister directed officials to ensure the farmers did not face any inconvenience at the paddy procurement centre.
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has directed the Agriculture department officials and district collectors to speed up procurement of paddy from farmers without inconveniencing them.

The Chief Minister wanted the officials to ensure that fine rice and coarse grains are procured separately and payments should be made to farmers as and when the process was completed. Emphasis should be on payment of ₹500 bonus per quintal of fine rice. Stringent steps should be initiated against millers found guilty of irregularities and the collectors were directed to position additional staff at the procurement centres to monitor the process.

The Chief Minister conducted a video conference on Tuesday with senior officials and district collectors to review the procurement process that is underway in the State. Ministers N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Tummala Nageswara Rao, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Konda Surekha and Jupalli Krishna Rao were present while Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari led the senior officials in the video conference.

Mr. Revanth Reddy was particular that adequate facilities should be created for farmers at the procurement centres to ensure that they did not face any problems. Ministers appointed as in-charges for the erstwhile districts should conduct field visits to monitor the procurement process and a report on the progress should be submitted to the government every day.

Simultaneously, steps should be taken to see that there was no dearth of vehicles to transport paddy once millers purchased the commodity. Mr. Revanth Reddy was particular that collectors should take steps to instil confidence among farmers that the government was firm on ensuring payment of minimum support price to them.

The State reported cultivation of paddy in 66 lakh acres and harvesting of the crop was still to be completed in 20 lakh acres. Officials should be cautious about the entry of paddy from the neighbouring States as farmers would be lured by the promise of ₹500 bonus assured to fine rice.

The Chief Minister informed that the government had decided to conduct farmers’ festival at Mahabubnagar on November 30. Steps should be taken to organise exhibition of agriculture and agri associated sectors and awareness meets on latest technologies being used in the farm sector and progress in mechanisation of agriculture operations besides meetings with Adarsha (model) farmers.