Andhra Pradesh to Buy 51 Lakh Tonnes of Paddy Worth Rs 12,200 Crore

 Vijayawada: Civil supplies minister Nadendla Manohar asserted that the reforms introduced by the coalition government have ensured justice for farmers. Speaking to the media at the Civil Supplies Bhavan in Vijayawada on Wednesday, he said the government is fully prepared to procure 51 lakh metric tonnes of paddy during the Kharif season, worth around Rs 12,200 crore.

The minister said the procurement will be conducted through 4,041 Rythu Seva Kendras and 3,803 purchase centres, involving 16,700 staff. Based on last year’s experience, six crore gunny bags have been readied.

Manohar criticised the previous government for leaving dues of Rs 1,670 crore pending and delaying payments to farmers for up to nine months. In contrast, under the coalition government, 87 per cent of procurement payments were credited to farmers’ accounts within 48 hours. “This year, we aim to complete payments within 24 hours,” he said.

To prevent discrepancies in moisture readings, the government has decided to use machines from a single manufacturer and adopt Bluetooth-based counting wherever necessary. Farmers can now send a WhatsApp message saying “Hi” to schedule their paddy procurement.

The procurement calendar has been finalised — 11 lakh metric tonnes in November, 25 lakh in December, 8 lakh in January, 3 lakh in February, and 4 lakh in March.

From January, one kilogram of wheat flour will be supplied at Rs 18 per kg to every rice cardholder family, with 2,400 metric tonnes kept ready.

Manohar said 92 per cent of smart card distribution has been completed. Essential commodities were supplied to 2.39 lakh households affected by Cyclone Montha, and 50,000 tarpaulins will be distributed free of cost to farmers during the rainy season. He reaffirmed that all registered paddy under the current crop will be procured without exception.