District Collector Directs Officials to Expedite Paddy Procurement Process

Gadwal: District Collector B.M. Santosh directed officials to expedite the paddy procurement process during an inspection of the IKP-run paddy procurement center in Konder village of Itikyala Mandal on Wednesday. The Collector was accompanied by Additional Collector Narsing Rao.

During the visit, the District Collector reviewed the paddy procurement operations and instructed the staff to ensure that the procured paddy is weighed and promptly transported to rice mills. He emphasized the need for immediate tab entries of the data. The Collector inquired about the details of the paddy arriving at the procurement centers and inspected several records related to the procurement process.

He instructed the officials to compile daily reports on the quantity of paddy procured from each farmer and maintain a comprehensive database. Using a digital moisture meter, the Collector personally tested the moisture content of the paddy and stated that paddy with up to 17% moisture content should be procured at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and immediately transported to rice mills.

The Collector further ordered that all data related to paddy procurement should be updated in the OPMS system within 24 hours and that physical records must align with the information available online. He directed Additional DRDO to monitor the operations at all procurement centers to ensure the smooth functioning of the process and to prevent any inconvenience to farmers.

The government has announced an MSP of ₹2,320 per quintal for paddy, along with an additional bonus of ₹500 for Grade-B paddy. Officials were instructed to ensure that no procured paddy is left in storage and that it is transported to the mills without delay.

Additional DRDO Narasimhulu, concerned officials, and several farmers participated in the program.