BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government on Monday directed collectors of eight bordering districts to ensure that paddy from Chhattisgarh does not enter the State during the procurement period. Procurement of paddy has already started in the bordering districts from the second week of November. The districts are Bargarh, Sambalpur, Balangir, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh and Nabarangpur.
In a letter to collectors of these districts, Additional Secretary in the Food Supply and Consumer Welfare department Bijay Kumar Prusty said that paddy (kharif crop) will be procured from registered farmers as per tokens issued to them. "There is a possibility that some unscrupulous traders or persons will try to push paddy purchased from Chhattisgarh into procurement system in the bordering districts," he stated.
The Government has asked the collectors of the districts to ensure that paddy sourced from Chhattisgarh does not enter the premises of procuring societies or groups in their areas. Besides, they have been asked to form district and sub-division level squads to conduct regular checks to keep an eye on the unscrupulous traders bringing paddy from the neighbouring State.
The Collectors have been asked to take action against such traders, millers or persons engaged in illegal activities under appropriate provisions of law. The Cabinet had approved on November 12 the Food and Procurement Policy for 2020-21 Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) by fixing a tentative target for procurement of 48 lakh metric tonne of rice.
In terms of paddy, this will come to around 71 lakh metric tonne, including 54 lakh metric tonne for kharif and 17 lakh metric tonne for rabi. However, there is no bar for procurement of any higher quantum if more paddy comes to mandis through registered farmers.