Civil Supplies Minister Karumuri Nageswara Rao on Tuesday claimed that the State government has procured 10.16 lakh metric tonnes of paddy from the farmers as against its annual target of 37 lakh metric tonnes. A majority of the paddy procured till date was grown in the Godavari delta in the Rabi season.
Mr. Nageswara Rao on Tuesday reviewed the paddy procurement, implementation of the Public Distribution System (PDS) and civil supply affairs with the officials of Kakinada, Konaseema and East Godavari districts.
“The entire paddy procurement should be done through the Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBK). The rice millers should not be allowed to have an option to procure the paddy directly from the farmer. The moisture percentage must be examined at the RBKs instead of rice mills,” said Mr. Nageswara Rao.
On delayed payments to farmers, Rajamahendravaram MP Margani Bharat has appealed to the Civil Supplies Minister to ensure a robust mechanism to link the Aadhaar and bank account details of the farmers.
On PDS implementation, the Civil Supply Minister has set a deadline of the 15 th of every month to complete the distribution of the commodities. The authorities have been told not to delay the distribution process beyond that date. Civil Supplies Managing Director G. Veerapandyan and other officials were present.
