Uttam Kumar Reddy Inspects Suryapet Paddy Procurement Centres to Reassure Farmers
On Monday, Telangana Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy visited paddy procurement centres at Thirumalagiri and Phanigiri in Suryapet district to review the ongoing Yasangi paddy procurement operations and reassure local farmers.
The minister, who was accompanied by Tungaturthi MLA Mandula Samuel along with district and civil supplies officials, interacted with the farmers and reviewed the pace of purchases, lifting of stocks, transport arrangements, and direct payments.
During his field inspection, Reddy announced that the state government had successfully procured nearly 64 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of paddy through a network of 8,575 procurement centres. He stated that a major portion of the paddy stocks had already been lifted from these centres and moved to rice mills, which has significantly reduced pressure on the purchase points.
Addressing the concerns of the farming community, the minister assured that the government is determined to purchase every single grain brought to the centres. He emphasized that even rain-soaked paddy is being purchased at the Minimum Support Price (MSP), advising farmers not to worry as the government machinery will work round the clock to support them.
Reddy directed local officials to ensure that the paddy procurement process in Suryapet district is completed by the end of the first week of June. The minister noted that similar instructions have also been issued to officials overseeing operations in Nalgonda district.
To overcome transport shortages, the minister ordered officials to deploy all available lorries and heavy vehicles to expedite the movement of paddy until the procurement is fully completed.
Regarding financial disbursements, Reddy shared that the state government has already transferred Rs 11,500 crore directly into the bank accounts of 9.31 lakh farmers across Telangana for the paddy procured from them.
During the visit, the minister also criticized the central government's procurement policy. He pointed out that while Telangana is prepared to procure up to 75 LMT of paddy, the Union government has agreed to purchase only about 51 LMT, which forces the state government to bear a heavy financial burden.
