VIZIANAGARAM:The district topped in the State in paddy procurement in 2014-15, and the success streak should be continued by procuring the highest quantity of paddy from the farmers in 2015-16 too, joint collector B Rama Rao said.
Chairing the paddy procurement committee meeting Wednesday, the JC said that 2,82,900 metric tonnes of paddy was procured by offering minimum support price to the farmers in the district and stood first among the 13 districts in the State last year. He directed the officials to prepare an action plan for paddy procurement in the current fiscal also. He also directed the revenue divisional officer to conduct surprise checks at all the procurement centres and if necessary, initiate stringent action against violators.
A special vigilance force with Civil Supplies deputy tahsildars and revenue officers should be constituted to check paddy procurement centres, the JC directed. The members of Velugu and PACS, who organise the Paddy Procurement Centres, should procure the grain in a transparent way.
The paddy should be sent to the millers as per the mills’ capacity. In view of the past experience, the supervising officials should take all precautions to avoid repeating mistakes while procuring paddy. The officials should be cautious about middlemen and ensure that the MSP is paid to the farmers, the JC said.