Civil Supplies Minister holds video conference with District Collectors on paddy procurement
District Collectors authorised to implement measures locally to streamline paddy procurement
Hyderabad: Civil Supplies and Irrigation Minister Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy directed officials to ensure a smooth and efficient paddy procurement process across Telangana, emphasising the importance of a flawless operation.
Addressing a video conference with all District Collectors, held by Principal Secretary and Civil Supplies Commissioner DS Chauhan, the minister urged meticulous planning as paddy starts arriving at procurement centres in large quantities.
Present at the meeting were Joint Secretary Priyanka Ala, Director of Marketing Uday Kumar, and other senior officials. Uttam Kumar Reddy highlighted that the paddy harvest in this season is expected to be 150 lakh metric tonnes worth Rs 30,000 crore. The state has allocated Rs 20,000 crore for procurement, with provisions for additional funds as needed.
Also Read-
The government anticipates strong cooperation from millers, following an increase in milling charges by Rs 40 for fine paddy and Rs 30 for coarse paddy. Uttam Kumar Reddy explained that the government is now moving towards securitising stocks, requiring a 10% bank guarantee from millers with clean records, while those with a history of default must provide a 20% guarantee.
Uttam Kumar Reddy advised District Collectors to immediately address any procurement issues by coordinating with the Civil Supplies Commissioner. He mentioned concerns raised by Government Advisor Shabbir Ali from Kamareddy and MLAs Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Sudardhan Reddy, Madan Mohan Rao, Anil Reddy regarding local procurement challenges. Collectors were encouraged to intervene directly and store the paddy at intermediary godowns if millers delay pick-up.
The Minister granted District Collectors authority to make local decisions while keeping the Civil Supplies Commissioner informed to ensure seamless operations. The government has set up intermediary godowns with a storage capacity of 30 lakh metric tonnes to handle any contingencies. In case of delays, District Collectors should store paddy in godowns managed by the State Warehousing Corporation or agricultural marketing committees.
Uttam Kumar Reddy underscored the critical nature of this one-month procurement exercise, stating that 4,598 paddy procurement centres are currently operational. He urged officials to open all 7,572 centres immediately, and if necessary, to establish additional centres. He said that the government has taken a historic step by giving a Rs 500 bonus over the Minimum Support Price for fine paddy. Therefore, he said that the paddy procurement this season was historic for more than one reason. Further, he said effective from January, all ration cardholders and BPL families would receive fine rice.
Uttam Kumar Reddy stated that borders would be strictly monitored to prevent paddy or rice from other states from entering Telangana, ensuring that the Rs 500 bonus benefits Telangana farmers alone.
He instructed officials to equip all Paddy Procurement Centres (PPCs) with necessary infrastructure to prevent crop loss from unseasonal rains. “We are authorising District Collectors to take immediate and decisive action. The government will reimburse expenses later if required. The aim is to prevent any damage to farmers’ produce due to delays or weather-related issues,” he said.
Emphasising the importance of timely procurement, Uttam Kumar Reddy cautioned that delays in even a single centre, leading to spoilage or moisture increase, would not be tolerated. He appealed personally to all District Collectors to ensure this record-breaking procurement exercise proceeds smoothly, reflecting positively on the government.
Uttam Kumar Reddy assured the officials of full departmental support, including the availability of the Commissioner and other officials for assistance, and invited District Collectors to reach out to him directly for urgent matters.
