Telangana: Paddy procurement gains momentum in erstwhile Warangal

To prevent any manipulation of paddy weight under the guise of soaked paddy, officials, including the police, are conducting regular inspections of the paddy procurement centres and rice mills

Warangal: The procurement of paddy grain is gaining pace in the six districts of the erstwhile Warangal district, as District Collectors and other officials diligently oversee the purchase process in accordance with the State government’s directives. To prevent any manipulation of paddy weight under the guise of soaked paddy, officials, including the police, are conducting regular inspections of the paddy procurement centres (PPCs) and rice mills. The purchase of paddy was temporarily halted at various centres due to unseasonal rains that occurred in the district last month.

However, the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS), District Rural Development Organisation – Indira Kranthi Patham (DRDO-IKP), Farmers Producer Organizations (FPO), and other agencies are purchasing paddy on behalf of the State government. They have set up 914 centres, covering almost every major village in the district.

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As of May 16, a total of 1,97,663 metric tonnes (MTs) of paddy have been purchased out of the expected arrival of 10,10,378 MTs through these centres in the former Warangal district. The government has already disbursed Rs 419.87 crore to 36,910 farmers. In Jangaon district, 74,846 MTs of paddy were purchased, while 35,322 metric tonnes were purchased in Mahabubabad and 25,999 metric tonnes in Warangal district. Hanamkonda district witnessed the purchase of 46,905 MTs, and Mulugu district saw 9,636 MT being purchased. Since harvesting is delayed in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district, only 4,955 metric tonnes of paddy has been purchased in the district so far.

Meanwhile, Warangal Police Commissioner AV Ranganath has cautioned rice millers against exploiting farmers by citing wastage in paddy grain (Tarugu). During a meeting with the Collectors of Hanamkonda and Warangal, Sikta Patnaik and P Pravinya respectively, and other officials to address the challenges faced by farmers and discuss grassroots-level measures, he emphasized that farmers had suffered significant losses due to heavy rainfall in the previous month. During his visit to several paddy procurement centres and rice mills in Kamalapur Mandal on Wednesday, Ranganath uncovered instances of non-compliance with government regulations by rice millers.

The Commissioner issued a stern warning, stating that Task Force teams would conduct regular inspections to identify millers who cause trouble for farmers, with legal action taken against those found guilty. Additionally, he appealed to farmers to strictly adhere to quality standards when selling their grain at the PPCs and also requested their cooperation with the staff for smooth purchase of paddy for this Yasangi season.