VIJAYAWADA: Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar has said that paddy procurement across the State is in full swing, with government machinery working round the clock to ensure farmers are paid promptly.
So far, 2.36 lakh metric tonnes of paddy have been procured from 32,793 farmers, marking a 30% increase compared to last year’s 1.84 lakh tonnes from 24,025 farmers.
The Minister, along with VC&MD Civil Supplies Corporation Dilli Rao, on Tuesday addressed the media at Vijayawada and stated that around 16,000 staff are engaged in the procurement process, ensuring operations run smoothly. ‘’The State has mobilised 32,000 lorries and tractors to transport paddy efficiently to procurement centres. 6.34 crore gunny bags have been made available, and 50,000 tarpaulins have been supplied to RSKs to protect paddy stocks from weather damage’’, he added.
The Minister further highlighted that last year the total procurement amount reached Rs 12,000 crore, processed within 48 hours, while this year, the target is Rs 14,000 crore, with a challenge to credit farmers’ accounts within 24 hours of delivery.
He said so far 560 crore has already been credited, with most payments reaching farmers’ accounts in 5-6 hours too. He said that WhatsApp number 7337359375 was made available for the farmers for ensuing paddy procurement and also for the centre with 1967 also arranged, he added.