Uttam Kumar Reddy assures seamless logistics speed up paddy procurement

Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Thursday instructed district Collectors to deploy all available trucks and vans for paddy transport, even diverting vehicles from non-priority uses.

Nalgonda: Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Thursday directed Collectors of the paddy producing districts to utilize all available lorries and DCM vans for transport of paddy from the purchase centres to the mills and storage points.

“lf required forcibly engage trucks for sand transport and other non priority activity. Cement factory managements should also spare trucks engaged by them for paddy transport in view of the ongoing procurement,” Uttam Kumar said.

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The Minister reaffirmed that the government was fully committed to buying every quintal of paddy at the Minimum Support Price (MSP), including the grains exposed to untimely rains.

He visited different paddy purchase centres and rice mills as part of an on-ground stock taking exercise in erstwhile Nalgonda and Khammam districts on Thursday. Later, along with his cabinet colleagues, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and Adluri Lakshman Kumar and State Legislative Council Chairman Gutta Sukender Reddy, he conducted a review meeting with the Collectors of Nalgonda, Suryapet, and Yadadri Bhongir districts at the Nalgonda Collectorate.

Telangana’s procurement scale this season was unprecedented. Nearly 8,575 procurement centres were operational, the highest ever, and supported by Rs 22,000 crore allocated for procurement operations, he stressed. Paddy was cultivated in over 65 lakh acres, with production projected to exceed 141 lakh metric tonnes in the Rabi season.

The government aims to purchase 90 lakh metric tonnes. Over 18.67 crore gunny bags have been positioned, and more than 1,800 millers were actively involved in milling operations, he stated.

In Khammam, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy joined him for the on-ground inspection of paddy procurement centres.