Hyderabad, May 24 (IANS) Telangana Minister for Civil Supplies, Uttam Kumar Reddy, on Sunday directed the officials to complete paddy procurement by the end of May.

He asked officials to expedite the paddy procurement process undertaken by the government across the state.

He, along with Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, ministers Tummala Nageswara Rao, Jupally Krishna Rao, Adluri Lakshaman and Ponnam Prabhakar participated in a video conference to review the paddy procurement process.

Chief Secretary Ramakrishna Rao, Civil Supplies Commissioner Stephen Raveendra, district Collectors, MPs, MLAs and officials attended the meeting.

Uttam Kumar Reddy stated that 141 lakh tonnes of paddy were cultivated across the state. The government has set a target to procure 75 lakh tonnes of this paddy by paying the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

According to the minister, 8,575 paddy procurement centres have been established across the state. So far, 51 lakh tonnes of paddy have been procured, and Rs 8,749 crore has been released towards the Minimum Support Price.

It was revealed that 21 crore gunny bags have been made available at the field level across the state. He directed that the procurement of 8.5 lakh tonnes of paddy—currently awaiting collection at procurement centres—must be undertaken on a war footing.

Instructions were issued to complete the procurement process by the end of this month and to establish checkpoints in border districts to implement stringent measures preventing the influx of paddy, sorghum, and maize from neighbouring states, according to an official release.

It was emphasised that strict action would be taken against rice millers and middlemen who attempt to defraud farmers.

The Civil Supplies Minister said that measures must be taken to ensure that details of procured grain are promptly entered into digital tablets, thereby expediting cash payments to farmers. It was reiterated that the welfare of farmers remains the government’s primary objective and that all necessary steps are being taken to ensure farmers do not suffer any financial loss.

Officials were directed to refute false reports regarding paddy procurement, to respond immediately to any negative news, and to actively publicise the fact that procurement has reached record-breaking levels.

Deputy Chief Minister Vikramarka stated that the paddy procurement process must be completed expeditiously and that the number of ‘hamalis’ (loaders/labourers) available for the task should be increased to adequate levels. He noted that, in the past, farmers often had to wait for months to receive payments for their procured paddy, whereas now, payments are being processed and disbursed immediately.

He said that as part of urban development initiatives, measures are being implemented to curb air pollution. It was directed that awareness campaigns regarding air pollution prevention be conducted among farmers who engage in the practice of burning agricultural waste.

–IANS

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