Telangana govt pledges to procure 90 LMT paddy this Yasangi season

Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy announced that Telangana will procure 90 LMT of paddy this Yasangi season, with Rs 21,501 crore allocated.

Hyderabad: Amid statewide protests by farmers over delayed paddy procurement, Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy declared that the State government was committed to procure 90 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of paddy during the Yasangi (Rabi) season. The government allocated Rs 21,501 crore towards paddy procurement at Minimum Support Price (MSP).

Addressing a press conference at the State Secretariat on Wednesday, the Minister said procurement operations have gathered pace across 8,575 procurement centres. He stated that around 17.28 LMT of paddy has been procured, with Rs 2,310 crore already credited to farmers.

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He said over 6,200 trucks have been deployed for swift movement of grain, while milling capacity has been scaled up to 64.83 LMT. An additional 11.20 LMT of storage has also been created to handle the influx.

The Minister said to protect crops from unseasonal rains, 2.63 lakh tarpaulins and 18.75 crore gunny bags have been arranged. While scores of farmers are awaiting paddy procurement, he said a token system has been introduced at procurement centres to streamline arrivals and reduce waiting time, with officials monitoring and a 24×7 control room for support.

Uttam Kumar said paddy cultivation was taken up in 67 lakh acres during the current Yasangi, with an expected output of 141 LMT. He asserted that Telangana is leading the country in both production and procurement.

Dismissing criticism, he accused the Opposition of spreading misinformation, warning that strict action would be taken against any irregularities at procurement centres.