80 per cent paddy procurement completed: Gangula

Says govt procured 70 lakh tonnes despite lockdown and labour shortage

Karimnagar: BC Welfare and Civil Supplies Minister Gangula Kamalakar on Friday said 80 per cent of the targeted paddy procurement had been completed in the State.

“Despite the ongoing lockdown and labour shortage, so far, the government has procured 70 lakh metric tonnes as against the target of 82 lakh metric tonnes fixed for the Yasangi season,” the Minister said, and expressed confidence that the remaining 12 lakh metric tonnes would be procured in the next 10 to 12 days,” the Minister said after launching the administration of Covid vaccine to potential spreaders at a women’s hostel here.

---

Speaking on the occasion, Kamalakar said the State government was committed to the welfare of farmers. “Farmers, who are well aware of this fact, will never believe political leaders who are trying to politicise farmers’ issues for their selfish gains,” he said.

On the need to vaccinate high risk groups, he said Telangana was the only State which was administering Covid vaccine to potential spreaders through a special drive. “High risk groups such as ration dealers, staff working in LPG gas agencies and petrol bunks and others would be administered the vaccine on fast track mode,” he said, and thanked Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao for taking the decision to protect the lives of high risk groups by administering vaccine to them.

Besides 33,000 staff engaged in the paddy procurement process, all staff working in 794 LPG gas agencies across the State would be given vaccine, Kamalakar said. A total of 49,616 employees are working in 3,279 petrol bunks. 33,980 persons working in 15,000 ration shops (two from each ration shop) would be given vaccine. In all, 83,596 employees of the civil supplies department would also be given vaccine.