Inter-ministerial meeting on Rabi paddy procurement held: Extensive management for paddy procurement discussed

Bhubaneswar:1/5/25:The State Government is gearing up putting all its effort for paddy procurement in the current Rabi season. This was discussed in detail at an inter-ministerial review meeting today. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo at the third floor Conference Hall of Lok Seva Bhawan. The meeting was attended by Minister for Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Shri Krushna Chandra Patra, Minister for Steel, Mines, Commerce and Transport Shri Bibhuti Bhushan Jena, Minister for Cooperatives Shri Pradeep Bal Samanta, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Shri Suresh Pujari, principal secretaries, Collectors and other officials of various districts.

Principal Secretary for Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Shri Sanjay Kumar Singh apprised about the procurement of paddy during Kharif season in the meeting. In the last kharif season, around 73.45 LMT of paddy was procured from nearly 16.6 lakh farmers. For this, Rs 16,853 crore was provided as MSP and Rs 5,862 crore as input assistance. Similarly, paddy procurement for the current Rabi season will last till June 30. It was informed that a target has been set to procure 14 lakh LMT of paddy this Rabi season. About 3.37 lakh farmers have registered to participate in the process. Procurement will be made through 965 primary agricultural cooperative societies in 20 districts.

The Deputy Chief Minister Shri Singh Deo expressed happiness over the arrangement made for procurement in the last Kharif season. It was successful due to the direct supervision of Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi. Similarly, he suggested that the interests of farmers can be protected in the current Rabi season.

He directed to installation of cameras in each mandi and appointed nodal officers and supervisors to monitor the procurement process effectively. There is a need to be more vigilant as more farmers have registered this year. He also suggested that assigned officers could register themselves through mandi monitoring app. Action may be initiated against officials found negligent in duty. It was decided in the meeting that minimum facilities would be available for the farmers at each mandi.

Like Kharif, Rs 2,300 per quintal as MSP and Rs 800 as input assistance will be credited directly to the farmers’ accounts within 48 hours of paddy procurement. In addition, complaints can be made through 1967. In every mandi, proper installation of CCTVs along with drinking water and other facilities have been made available. Because of the unseasonal rains and heat waves, special arrangements have been made for the protection of paddy kept in the mandis. Similarly, special attention has been given to keeping a close watch on vehicles carrying paddy from outside of the state not to enter our state and it has been suggested to deploy squads accordingly, as revealed by Cooperation department in the meeting.

As per requirements, Cameras will be mounted vehicles carry paddy going from mandis to mills. For this, Managing Director of Odisha State Supplies Corporation, Mr. K. Sudarshan Chakravarthy detailed useful facts.

Among others Principal Secretary of Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhi, Director of Agriculture & Food Production Shri Shubham Saxena, Special Secretary of Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Shri Sudam Charan Mandal, Registrar of Co-operative Societies Shri Siddhartha Sahu were present.