BHUBANESWAR: The state government on Monday announced a series of stringent measures to streamline rabi paddy procurement for the 2025-26 kharif marketing season (KMS) with special focus on protecting the interests of small and marginal farmers and preventing illegal trade practices.
The decisions were taken at an inter-ministerial committee meeting chaired by deputy chief minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo at Lok Seva Bhawan.
Addressing the meeting, Singh Deo said safeguarding the interests of small and marginal farmers will remain the government’s top priority during procurement operations of rabi paddy which has started in several districts.
To curb middlemen interference and illegal paddy inflow from neighbouring states, the meeting decided to seal inter-state border entry points during the procurement period. District collectors have been directed to conduct daily monitoring of procurement activities.
In a move to enhance transparency, iris-based biometric verification of farmers has been made mandatory at mandis to ensure genuine beneficiaries participate in the procurement process. Authorities also informed the meeting that paddy weighing is allowed only within designated mandi premises. Weighing equipment at mandis will undergo regular verification checks.
The state government has introduced a 24-hour grievance redressal mechanism for farmers. Nodal officers will monitor complaints and ensure time-bound resolution, while farmers can directly register grievances through the toll-free helpline number 1967.
To improve logistics and prevent diversion of stocks, a vehicle tracking system (VTS) has been deployed for transportation monitoring.
Officials informed the meeting that paddy procurement in the state has increased by 5.48 per cent compared to last year, while the number of registered farmers has risen by 14 per cent. In view of the higher procurement volume, the Food Corporation of India will construct additional storage facilities in major procurement zones across the state.
Revenue minister Suresh Pujari, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare minister KC Patra, Cooperation minister Pradeep Bal Samant and Panchayati Raj minister Rabi Narayan Naik, along with senior officials, attended the meeting.