HYDERABAD: The state government has so far, this season, procured 11 lakh tonnes of paddy from farmers, of which 10 lakh tonnes have already been moved to various rice mills, according to civil supplies minister Gangula Kamalakar.
The minister, who released a white paper on paddy procurement and allied issues on Wednesday, urged farmers not to believe rumours being spread by some that the government was not procuring paddy, and added that procurement was going on in a satisfactory manner for farmers. Kamalakar said Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao was ready to use Rs 3,000 crore for paddy procurement to ensure farmers do not face losses. He said procurement was progressing smoothly in the state and no reports of any problems had been received from anywhere. He also said instructions had been issued to ensure paddy brought to purchase centres stayed safe in the event of rains on account of cyclone Asani.
The minister said there was also no shortage of gunny bags and of the 8.85 crore bags available, only 2.5 crore had been used so far, and the available bags would be enough for procuring another 25 lakh tonnes of paddy.
