Hyderabad: Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy has directed officials to expedite the procurement process of paddy to alleviate any difficulties faced by farmers.
He emphasized that significant quantities of paddy are expected to arrive at procurement centers across the state in the coming week to ten days. During a review meeting on the Kharif season’s paddy collection, he instructed the administrative machinery to make necessary arrangements accordingly.
Revanth Reddy assured farmers that the government would purchase every grain of paddy and advised them against selling their produce at lower prices to private individuals.
He warned that strict actions would be taken under the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) against millers and traders who create hurdles in the procurement process.
In his discussions with ministers and government advisors via teleconference, he sought updates on district-wise conditions and urged district in-charge ministers to conduct daily reviews.
The Civil Supplies Corporation has set a target of procuring 8 million tons of paddy from farmers during this Kharif season, with 7,234 procurement centres established statewide. As of November 12, 726,000 tons had been procured, slightly lower than last year’s figures for the same date.
The chief minister pointed out that procurement was slow in five districts and stressed the need for increased speed in these areas.
He instructed collectors to ensure that procurement centres were prepared for the large influx of paddy expected soon.
Following the review, his advisor Vennareddy coordinated further discussions with officials to ensure smooth operations moving forward.
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