For the first time, the state government has decided to procure rice directly from rice millers to meet its requirements for the public distribution system, mid-day meal scheme and other such schemes being implemented to provide food security to the poor, minister for civil supplies D Sridhar Babu said here on Friday.
Addressing a press conference, he said that in the first phase direct rice procurement would be undertaken from next week in seven districts including Warangal, Karimnagar, Nalgonda, Prakasam, Nellore, Guntur and Chittoor districts.
The state requires about 40 lakh tonnes of rice annually for PDS and other schemes and it would initially procure 15 lakh tonnes.
To encourage the farmers to produce super fine rice, the government would procure it at `Rs 1,500 per quintal.
The government will also establish new 100 paddy procuring centres for purchasing the super fine rice.
With the onset of Khariff season, the state government has made arrangements for the procurement paddy by establishing 1779 procurement centres across the state through IKP centre, FCI, Primary Agricultural centres and others.
Sridhar Babu said that the decision was taken in line with the central government instructions to the states to introduce “decentralised procurement system” that enables rice procurement to meet state requirements, relieving the Food Corporation of India of this responsibility.
Cent ral government agreed to a proposal sent by the state government for procuring rice from civil supplies corporation.
Sridhar Babu said, the advantages of decentralised system have certain advantages like reducing transportation and enhancing the delivery mechanism.
Additional LPG gas cylinders
Sridhar Babu on Friday said that the state government would decide on allotting three more cylinders for domestic consumers by this December or January next year on after proper assessments.
The state government is positive on allotting three more cylinders to domestic consumers as UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi is in favour of giving additional cylinders in the congress ruled states.
“We have to abide by the orders of our high command,” he said. In the state there are about 1. 60 crore LPG connections and on an average the consumption is about 5. 5 to 6 cylinders in a year.