"paddy"

On May 21, Special officer S Krishna Aditya while reviewing the progress of the procurement of the grains in Mancherial, set May 30 as the deadline for completing the process in both Mancherial and Kumram Asifabad districts.

Harish Rao said farmers were facing serious difficulties at paddy procurement centres across the State.

Allotment of paddy would be made only to those millers who have completed 100 per cent delivery of CMR dues on producing bank guarantee, he said.

The procurement was hit by untimely rains last year too. But summer showers were experienced this time in long spells and almost throughout May.

It was planned to procure about 1.20 lakh metric tonnes of paddy in Khammam district, district Collector VP Gautham informed.

Harish said since the IMD was predicting rain soon in the State, the government must speed up the procurement.

The driver, who carried the load from Mutaiyakota to Bejjanki, informed him that the paddy that got wet had not been purchased and that they were waiting for this to happen for the last three days.

He asked the officials to offer a minimum support price, fixed by the government, to the growers by procuring quality grains.

Bhatti Vikramarka assured that even drenched and germinated paddy would also be purchased by the State government at the Minimum Support Price.

In Karimnagar, about 2.27 lakh metric tons of paddy has been procured from 37,500 farmers through 321 purchasing centres. So far, Rs.414 crore has been deposited in bank accounts of 27,367 farmers.

Sandeep, who was waiting for his turn for almost one month, took this decision after being frustrated with the officials not even weighing his paddy.

Former BRS MP says farmers are the worst-hit because of the ill-advised moves of the State government.

Nizamabad, which is the largest paddy growing district in the State, is estimated to have a paddy yield of about 15 lakh metric tonnes this season.

A report was submitted to a committee recommending Narayana’s suspension. The committee would inquire into the issue and make a decision, he said.

The BRS cadre staged the demonstrations in all Assembly constituencies following a call given by party president and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao.

Rauthu Sattaiah, a farmer, alleged that the staffers at the centre were secretly stealing around three kilograms of grains per bag by tampering with the weighing machine.

Crops were damaged in some places while paddy kept at procurement centres were drenched, while harvested paddy on several acres that was to be shifted to the procurement centres too was affected by the rains.

The incident left the entire village in shock. Meanwhile, several parts of Sangareddy and Medak districts received heavy rains on Sunday afternoon.

"We will take steps to see that paddy from outside the State was not allowed into the market," he said, adding that the the promise of crop loan waiver up to Rs.2 lakh would be implemented on or before August 15.

Beddapla Somaiah, a farmer from Tekenapalli village in Hajipur mandal said the paddy was not purchased even after it was brought to the centre a fortnight ago.