Govt Will Procure Every Paddy Grain Produced in Telangana: Minister Uttam

Hyderabad: Minister for Civil Supplies Uttam Kumar Reddy has made it clear that the State government is fully prepared to purchase every grain of paddy produced in Telangana.

On Monday, a special review meeting was conducted at the Marri Chenna Reddy Human Resource Development Institute regarding the procurement of the 2023-24 Kharif crop. The meeting was attended by Joint Collectors, District Civil Supplies Officers, and District-level Civil Supplies Managers. Other attendees included Civil Supplies Secretary DS Chavan, Joint Secretary Priyanka Ala, State Warehousing Corporation MD Lakshmi and Marketing Director Uday Kumar.

During the meeting, Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy stated that the paddy crop was cultivated in 60.39 lakh acres this Kharif season and based on the government estimates, around 91.38 lakh metric tonnes of yield is expected.

The State government has set up a total of 7,139 paddy procurement centers across the Telangana. Of these, 4,496 centers will be set up through Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies, 2,102 through IKP (Indira Kranthi Patham) centers and 541 by other entities, he disclosed.

The minister further stated that separate centers have been set up to purchase fine (sanna) and coarse (doddu) paddy. Out of the cultivated land, fine paddy was grown in 36.8 lakh acres, yielding an estimated 88.9 lakh metric tonnes. Similarly, the coarse paddy was cultivated in 23.58 lakh acres, with a projected yield of 58.18 lakh metric tonnes, he said.

Stating that the paddy will not be allocated to mills involved in irregularities in the past, Uttam Kumar Reddy instructed officials to prevent any malpractices in paddy procurement as the produce is purchased using public funds.

Strict measures will be taken to stop the import of paddy from neighbouring states, he said, emphasising that the government expects a good yield from fine paddy. As part of the State’s effort to support farmers, a bonus of Rs.500 per quintal will be provided for fine paddy, effective from this Kharif season.

The minister described this decision as revolutionary, noting that paddy procurement would begin in the first week of October and continue until the end of January, 2025.

For the first time, the State government has prepared warehouses to store 40 lakh metric tonnes of paddy. From January, fine rice collected during the Kharif season will be distributed through fair price shops across the State, he disclosed.

The minister emphasised the crucial role of officials in this process, instructing them to remain vigilant and meet procurement targets. The initiative is expected to benefit around 3 crore people, with each person receiving six kilograms of fine rice, he added.