The Tamil Nadu government is planning to open direct procurement centres in all districts through the Department of Cooperation, Minister for Cooperation I. Periasamy announced in the Assembly on Wednesday.
In the first phase, the direct procurement centres will be opened in districts other than those in the Cauvery delta region. Committees, led by the Collectors, have been constituted for this purpose, he said. As on July 31, the Food Department has 2,654 direct procurement centres for paddy, primarily in the Cauvery delta region.
“In 19 districts, 68 direct procurement centres are to be set up through the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Credit Societies, and they will be expanded later,” Mr. Periasamy said. He said the number of medical shops, run by the Department of Cooperation, would be increased from 300 to 600 in the next five years.
He said the government intended to strengthen self-help groups (SHGs) and their functions. The rate of interest for loans up to ₹3 lakh would be reduced from 12% to 7%. “This would benefit 43,39,780 members of 3,63,881 groups across the State.” The government would also lend at 5% to widows and women deserted by their spouses. “This would help about 7,40,173 widows and those who have been deserted by their husbands,” he said.
The government would bear the educational expenses of students studying at ITIs run by the Department of Cooperation in Bargur and Pattukkottai. It would open an institute at Mannavanur in Kodaikanal for training employees in cooperative management.
Food Minister R. Sakkarapani said a control room would be set up to monitor the movement of civil supplies. He said the government would create two more zones of the Civil Supplies-CID with the headquarters in Tiruchi and Coimbatore. They would be headed by Superintendents of Police. The Minister said units of the Civil Supplies-CID would be set up in the newly created districts of Chengalpattu, Kallakurichi, Mayiladuthurai, Tenkasi, Tiruppattur and Ranipet. A total of 140 direct procurement centres for paddy would be built at a cost of ₹50 crore with assistance from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development. Another 50 centres would be constructed at a cost of ₹17 crore with funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. Modern rice mills would be opened in Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Thanjavur, Theni and Tiruvarur districts.
