Allocate more time for supply of paddy, Gangula to FCI

Hyderabad: Considering the climatic conditions in Telangana and welfare of farming community, Civil Supplies Minister Gangula Kamalakar appealed to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) not to raise any unreasonable objections during the current paddy procurement. The Minister met with FCI General Manager Deepak Sharma here on Saturday and briefed him about arrangements in place […]

Hyderabad: Considering the climatic conditions in Telangana and welfare of farming community, Civil Supplies Minister Gangula Kamalakar appealed to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) not to raise any unreasonable objections during the current paddy procurement. The Minister met with FCI General Manager Deepak Sharma here on Saturday and briefed him about arrangements in place for Yasangi paddy procurement.

To help the farmers, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had decided to bear the additional expenditure arising due to the relatively high quantity of broken rice in the stocks this season, he said. “Considering the local climatic conditions, I appeal you not to raise any unreasonable objections during custom milled rice procurement and subject the farmers to inconvenience,” G Kamalakar told to Deepak Sharma during the meeting.

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The State Government has already written to FCI that as per quality standards raw rice would be supplied. More importantly, the probability of broken rice in the stocks arriving from erstwhile Karimnagar and Warangal would be more, he said, urging the FCI General Manager not to put up any queries in this regard. He also requested the FCI to approve the supply of 5.25 lakh metric tonnes pertaining to last Yasangi season as fortified boiled rice. In addition to this, he wanted the FCI to arrange more rakes and storage facility for supply of custom milled rice pertaining to last Vanakalam season.

Telangana needs to be allocated more time for supply of stocks and it cannot be offered the same time as being extended to States, which produce lesser yield, the Minister said. “The FCI’s decision to extend only 30 days additional time to Telangana needs to be reviewed,” Kamalakar stressed. This season, paddy was cultivated in 35.80 lakh acres and 60 lakh metric tonnes yield was expected to arrive at the procurement centres. There was a requirement of nearly 15 crore gunny bags and a request was made to the Jute Corporation of India in this regard and the balance would be sourced from open market, he said.

To ensure smooth and transparent procurement, FCI Deputy General Manager Kamalakar and Civil Supplies Corporation General Manager Raji Reddy were appointed as nodal officers, the Minister said. Later in a meeting with Civil Supplies department officials, the Minister said already 34 procurement centres were set up across the State and more centres would be set up as per the demand. Strict vigilance should be enforced to ensure stocks from other States were not brought to the procurement centres, he directed the vigilance officials. Sufficient tarpaulins to cover stocks in case of sudden rains, drinking water and other facilities should be arranged at the procurement centres, he said.

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