Tamil Nadu is among the eight States that have not yet integrated their land record portals with the procurement portals. The other States are Kerala, Telangana, Assam, Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and West Bengal, according to a letter written by Union Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey to Union Secretary for Land Resources Ajay Tirkey on Wednesday.
Mr. Pandey’s communication has been written on the eve of grain procurement for the kharif marketing season that begins on October 1. Pointing out that the integration of the procurement portals with the land records of the farmers formed one of the minimum threshold parameters for procurement, the Union Food Secretary explained that the main objective of the integration was “to ensure procurement and thereby, release of payments to genuine farmers and ultimately to eliminate the possibility of recycling of foodgrains”.
The Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation is implementing an online system for paddy procurement. Farmers must visit the websites, www.tncsc.tn.gov.in or www.tncsc-edpc.in, and fill out details such as their Aadhaar numbers, bank account numbers, land, cultivation type, expected yield and quantity of paddy to be procured, besides the sort and variety of the crop. They can also book a slot for procurement, indicating their preference for a direct purchase centre.
However, some farmers say traders may misuse the system. They say harvest and yield cannot be calculated with certainty and highlight the possibility of being assigned to a distant direct purchase centre. Officials in charge of procurement say the system has been devised to “ensure transparency in procurement, protect the interests of genuine farmers and curb traders from direct purchase centres”. A July order from the Food and Civil Supplies Department said the location of direct purchase centres should be “convenient” to farmers.
Mobile direct purchase centres have also been planned based on the needs of farmers. For instance, in Tiruvarur district, each taluk will have mobile centres; 244 centres will function from Friday for procurement of paddy raised during the kuruvai crop, says Collector B. Gayathri Krishnan. The staff members of the direct purchase centres have been asked to help farmers in registration. The Village Administrative Officers have been trained in the new system, she adds.
During 2020-21, about 39.4 lakh tonnes was procured as on July 31. The payment released was ₹7,665 crore. According to an estimate, the quantity can touch even 50 lakh tonnes this time.
