BERHAMPUR: Paddy procurement process for the kharif season in Ganjam district has not been up to the mark even as around 375 millers had given their consent to take part in it. Official sources said, 6,24.644.28 quintal paddy has been procured from 12,591 farmers till the first week of January this year. However, the quantity is 11 per cent less than the previous year.
Expressing his displeasure over the tardy progress of paddy procurement in the district, Secretary of Civil Supplies department Veer Bikram Yadav, in a meeting held through video conferencing recently, asked officials concerned finish computerization work of Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS) by January 31.
He also expressed his displeasure over the non-shifting of society authority slip (SAS) and miller authority slip (MAS) by the PACS. The officials of Civil Supplies department were asked to expedite the process of Aadhar linking for public distribution system (PDS) beneficiaries.
As many as 1,34,496 farmers from across the district have registered their names for paddy procurement through 390 PACS, one 'Pani Panchayat' and 55 women self help groups (SHG) this year. Last year, though 1.28 lakh farmers were registered, only 73,000 could sell their produce in the mandis.
Mandis to close by January 20
JEYPORE: Mandis in Koraput for the kharif crop season will be closed by January 20 as the district has already met a majority of its procurement target. Local administration had opened 91 mandis for paddy procurement from December first week.
By first week of January, the civil supply department had procured 13.53 lakh quintal and later the target was enhanced to 18.76 lakh quintal. Till date, the department has procured 16.6 lakh quintal and is expected to meet the enhanced target by January 20.