Chennai: Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on Friday announced that her government would introduce e-procurement of paddy from farmers at an outlay of Rs 13.43 crore to address systemic deficiencies at direct paddy procurement centres.
Stating that all the paddy procurement data would be fully computerised, she said that direct paddy procurement centres functioning would be improved with the provision of infrastructures like point of sale machines, computers, printers and electronic weighing scale.
In a suo moto statement in the Assembly, Ms Jayalalithaa said that farmers would have to register their names, mobile numbers, land details, crop acreage and expected time of harvest either through online or through the e-seva centres. She said that farmers would be informed through SMS the date and time when they will have to bring their produce. “This will prevent farmers standing or waiting in the queue for hours together,” she said.
Farmers would get a receipt with details about the paddy weight and the total price, after the paddy is procured, she said, adding that payment due to the farmers would be made through electronic clearance system to their respective bank accounts.
A modern rice mill with an annual milling capacity of 30,000 tonne will be set up in Valangaiman division of Tiruvarur district at a cost of Rs 20 crore by the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation, the Chief Minister said.
Besides, two warehouses will be built with a capacity of 10,000 tonnes at Kottur and Needamangalam in Tiruvarur at a cost of Rs 40 crore to store food grains, she said. Such godowns will have conveyors, stackers and (mechanised) loaders to ease the work of loaders, she noted.
Additionally, a total of five godowns with a capacity of 16,600 tonnes will be set up in Tirunelveli, Vellore, Namakkal, Sivagangai and Cuddalore districts at a cost of Rs 18.50 crore for use of farmers, traders and Food Corporation of India.
She said silos to store paddy will be set up in Thanjavur and Tiruvarur districts. She also announced new buildings for 90 Primary Agriculture Cooperative Credit Societies.
“These measures will help farmers to sell paddy in the direct procurement centres without any problem. Besides, it will also help the government to good quality rice through public distribution system,” said Jayalalithaa.
