Hyderabad: Minister for Civil Supplies N Uttam Kumar Reddy has emphasized the need for a smooth and efficient paddy procurement process across Telangana.
Addressing officials during a video conference with District Collectors, he noted that out of the planned 7,572 purchase centers, 4,598 are already operational to procure nearly 1.5 crore tonnes of grain. He urged meticulous planning as grain stocks are arriving in large quantities.
The Minister reported an estimated production of 150 lakh tonnes this season and highlighted the state’s allocation of Rs 20,000 crore, against a requirement of approximately Rs 30,000 crore for procurement.
In light of untimely rains, he instructed officials to enhance infrastructure at procurement centres to mitigate crop loss, authorizing District Collectors to take immediate actions as necessary.
To expedite processing, he sought cooperation from millers and announced an increase in milling charges—from Rs 10 to Rs 50 per quintal for fine varieties and from Rs 10 to Rs 40 for common varieties.
Furthermore, he outlined new security measures requiring a 10% bank guarantee from reliable millers and a 20% guarantee from those with a history of default.
District Collectors were tasked with swiftly addressing any procurement issues in coordination with the Civil Supplies Commissioner.
They are also encouraged to store procured paddy in intermediary godowns if there are delays in transferring stocks by millers.
The state has prepared godowns with a capacity of 30 lakh tonnes to handle contingencies effectively.
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