Hyderabad, May 25: Telangana’s Minister for Civil Supplies, Uttam Kumar Reddy, has directed officials to complete the rice procurement process by the end of May. He emphasized the need to expedite the government’s rice procurement initiative across the state.
In a video conference, he reviewed the procurement process with Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Ministers Tummala Nageshwar Rao, Jupally Krishna Rao, Adluri Lakshman, and Ponnam Prabhakar.
Chief Secretary Ramakrishna Rao, Civil Supplies Commissioner Stephen Ravindra, district collectors, MPs, MLAs, and other officials participated in the meeting.
Uttam Kumar Reddy reported that the state has produced 14.1 million tons of rice. The government aims to procure 7.5 million tons of this rice at the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
According to the minister, 8,575 rice procurement centers have been established across the state. So far, 5.1 million tons of rice have been procured, with ₹8,749 crores disbursed as MSP.
It was noted that 21 million jute bags are available at the grassroots level throughout the state. He instructed that the procurement of 850,000 tons of rice, currently awaiting collection at the centers, should be completed urgently.
An official statement indicated that the procurement process should be finalized by the end of this month, with checkpoints established in border districts to prevent the influx of rice, jowar, and maize from neighboring states.
It was stressed that strict action would be taken against rice mill owners and middlemen attempting to defraud farmers.
The Civil Supplies Minister stated that measures should be implemented to ensure that details of the procured grains are recorded immediately on digital tablets, facilitating quicker cash payments to farmers.
He reiterated that the welfare of farmers is the government’s priority, and all necessary steps are being taken to prevent any economic loss to them.
Officials were instructed to refute false reports related to rice procurement, respond promptly to any negative news, and actively promote the fact that procurement has reached record levels.
Deputy Chief Minister Vikramarka emphasized the need to expedite the procurement process and increase the number of loaders/laborers available for this task.
He noted that farmers previously had to wait months to receive payment for their sold rice, but now the payment process is completed immediately, ensuring prompt compensation.
He also mentioned that under urban development initiatives, various measures are being implemented to reduce air pollution. He directed awareness campaigns on air pollution prevention for farmers who burn agricultural waste.
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