HANAMKONDA / JANGAON: The delay in procurement of paddy brought to Indira Kranthi Patham (IKP) centres in Jangaon and Hanamkonda districts is giving tense moments to farmers. The paddy is ready to be sent to the rice mills after weighing, but officials have not begun the process of procurement. This is despite the procurement centre being formally inaugurated. The Express visited IKP centres in Hanamkonda and Jangaon districts where farmers have been forced to wait for days to dispose of their produce.
Warangal District Rice Millers Association president Thota Sampath said that the Food Corporation of India (FCI) authorities stopped the purchase of rice from the rice millers. With that, the District Civil Supplies department officials are delaying the purchase of paddy crop from farmers; they have not even set up procurement centres in a few villages in the district, said Sampath.
Vexed with the delay, farmers had left their paddy at the IKP centres. They alleged that the unseasonal rains have left their paddy soaked. They said they are finding it difficult to lift the paddy from the drying platform at procurement centres, pointing out that Civil Supplies and Agricultural department authorities and societies have not started the procurement process.
Officials of the Hanamkonda and Jangaon Civil Supplies department said that 199 procurement centres have started in Jangaon and they expect to procure 2,75,000 Metric Tonnes (MT). However, the fact is that very few of these 199 centres in the district have started purchasing the paddy. Hanamkonda district’s 150 paddy procurement centres were supposed to procure 1,47,000 MT. However, only 55 centres have actually been set up in the district.
P Srinivas, a farmer from Jangaon district, said: “I have four acres of land and cultivated paddy. I have been waiting for the paddy to be lifted for the past ten days at the procurement centre. Till now the IKP authorities have not issued any token number for weighing the paddy.”He said that on being questioned about the delay, the officials do not respond.