Procure Paddy by May End: Revanth

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Tuesday directed district collectors to expedite the paddy and maize procurement for yasangi (rabi) season and complete the procurement operations in a mission mode across the state. He ordered collectors to complete procurement by May-end. Revanth Reddy cautioned officials that any kind of neglect would not be tolerated during the procurement.

He was speaking at a video conference with collectors and reviewed the status of the procurement of paddy and maize. The CM enquired about the difficulties facing in the procurement process in every district.

The collectors were instructed to address the difficulties faced by the farmers and see for themselves the arrangements regularly. The Chief Minister reviewed the shortage of gunny bags and loaders and directed the officials to supply bags adequately. Procured food grains should also be transported to warehouses without any delay.

The CM warned that action would be initiated against the contractors who failed to provide adequate number of vehicles, mainly lorries for transportation as per the agreement. The authorities concerned were ordered to initiate criminal proceedings, if necessary, against the contractors who failed to fulfil the agreements.

He directed the transport commissioner to ensure that vehicles are readily available for the transportation of paddy. The CM advised collectors to seek police assistance if necessary to ensure the smooth and uninterrupted procurement. Specific instructions were given to the collectors to submit regular reports to the Chief Secretary on paddy procurement and maize purchase.

Revanth Reddy also reviewed the availability of warehouses and advised the collectors to make temporary arrangements in such areas based on immediate requirements. The officials were ordered to utilize rythu bazaars and function halls to facilitate the movement and storage of paddy. Formulation of plans to transport paddy to the permanent warehouses was discussed in the meeting.

Collectors of the districts with high maize production were instructed to take measures to ensure that farmers do not face any difficulties during procurement.

Revanth Reddy enquired from officials the unseasonal rains and its impact on procurement. The collectors were ordered to prepare plans to find a permanent solution to rescue the farmers from losses due to unseasonal rains. The availability of adequate tarpaulins to farmers to protect their harvested crop from getting wet during unseasonal rains should be given top priority in the action plan.

Further, the Chief Minister suggested appointing a designated officer at the mandal-level to constantly alert farmers about the weather forecast predicted by the Indian Meteorological Department. A dedicated system will also be set up specifically for disseminating weather-related information to the farming community.

To strengthen the monitoring of procurement, an officer would be assigned to each IKP (Indira Kranthi Patham) centre to solve the hurdles during procurement. A responsible officer would also be appointed at every rice mill to oversee operations including hiring Hamalis to speed up loading of the procured food grains.

The CM emphasised that measures should be taken to ensure farmers receive a receipt immediately after loading to prevent irregularities committed under the guise of "talu" (chaff) or "tarugu" (weight deductions). To overcome the shortage of lorries, Revanth Reddy also ordered the officials to hire tractors and other vehicles available in nearby areas. The Chief Minister asserted that problems should be resolved only through the direct supervision of the collectors who are responsible to resolve every issue.

Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Ministers Tummala Nageswara Rao, N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Seethakka, Jupally Krishna Rao, Adluri Laxman Kumar, and Vakiti Srihari, along with Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao, senior officials, and district collectors from various districts participated in the video conference.

Uttam Kumar Reddy emphasised that the district collectors should act responsibly during the procurement of paddy and maize. The officials were instructed to bring any challenge arising within their districts to the government's attention. Uttam assured that the government would provide all necessary assistance and cooperation to resolve the challenges instantly. The minister clarified that the government is ready to extend all kinds of support required for procurement.

Nageswara Rao cautioned that some farmers from neighbouring states are transporting their paddy to procurement centres in Telangana, which is leading to a new problem in certain areas. Collectors were instructed to take precautionary measures to prevent farmers from neighbouring states from transporting paddy to procurement centres in Telangana and take all necessary steps to complete the procurement process by the end of May.