Cabinet panel report on paddy procurement ready, says Uttam

- Grievance Redressal Cell has also been set up at the head office to resolve farmers' issues

- 1,440 MTs paddy worth Rs 3.34 cr procured from 230 farmers

Hyderabad: The Cabinet Sub-Committee on paddy procurement is set to submit its report to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday. The report, which contains recommendations on various issues related to paddy procurement for the Kharif season of 2024–25, will be discussed in the Cabinet meeting scheduled for October 26.

This announcement was made by Civil Supplies and Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday after chairing a meeting with public representatives from the joint Nizamabad district at Civil Supplies Bhavan. The meeting was attended by Industries Minister and Cabinet Sub-Committee member D Sridhar Babu, Government Whip Lakshman Kumar, Advisors to the Government Pocharam Srinivas Reddy and Mohammed Ali Shabbir, MLC and TPCC President B Mahesh Kumar Goud, MLAs B Sudarshan Reddy and Laxmikantha Rao, MLC Balamoori Venkat, Principal Secretary and Commissioner of Civil Supplies DS Chauhan, Civil Supplies Director Prasad, and other senior officials.

During the meeting, discussions focused on various issues, including bank guarantee, milling charges, and storage capacity in the Nizamabad district.

District Collectors have been instructed to form teams for the continuous monitoring of paddy purchases, ensuring that farmers are not subjected to difficulties or resort to distress sales. Particular focus has been placed on preventing issues such as weighment reductions on the grounds of moisture and foreign matter, exploitation of farmers by intermediaries, and avoiding paddy damage or loss of life at PPCs due to adverse weather conditions. This will be managed through weather predictions and scheduling paddy arrivals accordingly. The district administration has been directed to promptly address any negative news related to paddy procurement. A Grievance Redressal Cell with a toll-free number has also been set up at the head office to resolve farmers' issues.

Once the Cabinet Sub-Committee submits its report, the State Cabinet will make decisions on major issues such as the bank guarantee and milling charges. Uttam Kumar Reddy also informed that paddy procurement has already begun in the districts of Nalgonda and Yadadri. As of October 22, 1,440 MTs of paddy worth Rs 3.34 crore had been procured from 230 farmers. He expressed optimism that the paddy procurement for the Kharif 2024-25 season would proceed smoothly and set new records.