₹500 bonus to farmers cultivating fine rice from kharif season, says CM

₹500 bonus to farmers cultivating fine rice from kharif season, says CM

The State Government has decided to set up 7,000 procurement centres across the State for paddy cultivated during kharif season. It has also resolved to give the bonus of ₹500 a quintal on fine rice, in line with the assurance given by the Congress in the run-up to the elections.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy directed District Collectors to open special centres for purchasing fine rice from farmers as also additional IKP centres wherever needed. The IKP centres should be given serial numbers for easy identification and monitoring.

He held a video conference with the collectors on paddy procurement and other issues on Thursday, and asked them to take steps to ensure that there was no dearth of gunny bags and any scope for irregularities in the procurement of fine rice. Measures should be initiated for transport of paddy as and when it was procured besides ensuring that there was no scope for the food grain becoming wet in the event of rains.

Mr. Reddy also instructed them to engage Agriculture officials in the procurement process and review the process on a daily basis. An exclusive call centre should be set up to keep farmers informed about the progress of procurement while vigil should be intensified to see that paddy from neighbouring States did not enter Telangana.

Field visits had been made mandatory for the collectors, who should also register criminal cases against those resorting to cheating gullible farmers. Steps should be taken to see that farmers opt for cultivation of only fine rice varieties in the coming days.

While reviewing the progress of DSC appointments, the CM directed officials to complete the verification of certificates of selected candidates before October 5. Instructing officials to complete the recruitment process before Dasara, he said that the government was gearing up to issue appointment letters to selected candidates on October 9.