A special committee is getting ready to present a report to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy about paddy (rice) procurement. This report will focus on the upcoming Kharif season of 2024-2025. The report will be discussed in a Cabinet meeting set for October 26.
This update was shared by Civil Supplies and Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday. He led a meeting with public representatives from the Nizamabad district at the Civil Supplies Bhavan. The meeting was attended by several key figures, including Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu, Government Whip Lakshman Kumar, and other officials.
Several important issues were discussed during the meeting. These included topics like bank guarantees, milling charges (the cost of turning paddy into rice), and storage capacities in the Nizamabad district. The officials emphasized that farmers should not face difficulties or be forced into selling their crops at low prices.
District Collectors have been told to form teams to closely monitor paddy purchases. The teams will work to prevent problems like unfair weight reductions due to moisture or foreign matter in the paddy. They will also protect farmers from being exploited by middlemen. To shield farmers from bad weather, they will use weather forecasts to plan the arrival of paddy at the purchase centers.
A Grievance Redressal Cell (complaint center) has been set up at the head office. This office will help solve any problems farmers face during the paddy procurement process. Farmers can contact the Cell using a toll-free number.
After the committee submits its report, the Cabinet will make decisions on key issues, including bank guarantees and milling charges. Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy mentioned that paddy procurement has already started in the districts of Nalgonda and Yadadri. As of October 22, 1,440 metric tons of paddy worth Rs 3.34 crore had been bought from 230 farmers. He expressed confidence that the paddy procurement process for the Kharif 2024-25 season would run smoothly and could set new records.
