Karimnagar: Civil supplies minister Gangula Kamalakar asked farmers not to become victims of middlemen but take their paddy to procurement centres started by state government. He was speaking after inaugurating procurement centres at Kamanpur and Hajipur villages in Kothapally mandal of Karimnagar district on Friday.
The minister pointed out that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has already issued orders to pay farmers ₹ 1,960 for A-grade variety of paddy and ₹ 1,940 for normal variety. Against the requirement of around 15 crore gunny bags, government has already kept 1.6 crore bags ready. Efforts are on to procure the remaining bags.
Kamalakar maintained that despite hurdles created by BJP, state government will procure the entire grain produced this Rabi season. He pointed out that because of all facilities provided by state government, farmers are expecting around 25–30 quintals of additional produce per acre of land. As per official estimates, 3.4 lakh metric tonnes of food grains will be harvested from 2.4 acres of land cultivated this season. Government has already procured 1,682 metric tonnes of the grains produced.
The minister recalled that before formation of Telangana state, farmers tried to sell away their land with non-availability of water, power supply and no money to invest. But after the state separated, CM KCR has put in continuous efforts and made farming a booming sector.
PACS chairman Pendyala Shyamsundar Reddy, MPP Sri Latha, ZPTC Peddala Karuna, PACS vice chairman Anjaneyulu, additional collector Shyam Prasad Lal, district civil supplies officer Suresh, cooperative officer Sri Mala, civil supplies manager Srikanth Reddy and sarpanch G. Sampath were among those present.
