Hyderabad: Irrigation and civil supplies minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy asserted that the state was on course to surpass last year’s record Rabi procurement and set a new benchmark. The government has already procured over 70 lakh metric tones (LMT) and eyes cross previous year’s 74.2 LMT.
Reviewing procurement operations across the state at a meeting with officials, Uttam Kumar Reddy instructed district collectors and civil supplies officials to resolve bottlenecks on a war footing, particularly in districts where procurement was still in progress.
Expressing confidence in the state’s procurement machinery, Uttam Kumar Reddy said Telangana was likely to close the season with procurement levels higher than those achieved last year despite challenges posed by weather conditions and shortage of hamalis.
The minister said special attention should be given to Nizamabad, Nirmal, Nagarkurnool, Wanaparthy and Vikarabad districts, where paddy arrivals were expected to continue for the next ten days. “Push the districts to finish procurement before the monsoon gains momentum. Farmers should not suffer because of weather-related disruptions,” he said, directing the officials to ramp up the operations.
The procurement operations in several districts were nearing completion. Suryapet and Nalgonda districts are going to complete the operations in a day or two. The minister also reviewed storage arrangements and directed officials to immediately address space constraints wherever they existed. He was informed that additional storage facilities had been identified in districts facing shortages.
The minister also reviewed the movement of Custom Milled Rice (CMR) and directed officials to expedite transportation and storage operations to ensure smooth procurement of fresh arrivals. Uttam Kumar Reddy also reviewed the functioning of procurement centres and the welfare of workers engaged in procurement activities, including hamalis and support staff. He directed officials to examine proposals for improving their welfare measures, including insurance coverage and other social security benefits.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
