State government will pay within 48 hours of paddy procurement in kharif season, says Civil Supplies Minister

Andhra Pradesh government ensures quick payment to farmers for paddy procurement, with transparency and support for tenant farmers.

KAPAVARAM 

Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Nadendla Manohar on Wednesday announced that the State government was ready to pay within 48 hours after procuring paddy from the farmers in the ongoing kharif season. Mr. Manohar, accompanied by Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh, on Wednesday launched the paddy procurement in Andhra Pradesh at Kapavaram village in East Godavari district.

Addressing the farmers here, Mr. Manohar has claimed, “We have prepared to clear the payment within the 48 hours after the procurement of paddy from the farmer. An amount of ₹11,200 crore will be spent towards paddy procurement for all the components including procurement of paddy, gunny bags and transportation”. The payment will be done by crediting the amount directly into the bank account of the farmers, he said.

In Andhra Pradesh, the total extent of area under paddy crop is above 15.60 lakh hectares and above 32.50 lakh metric tonnes of paddy will be procured by the State government. 

“Nearly 90% of farmers are under tenancy. Transparency will be guaranteed in the paddy procurement and all the necessary support will be assured to the tenant farmers,” said Mr. Manohar. He has claimed that the kharif would be the first season during which the farmer would be given the choice of choosing the rice mill to sell his paddy harvest. 

“The previous government could not clear the payment towards paddy procurement for six to nine months”, alleged Mr. Manohar adding that a farmers’ representative would be present at the paddy procurement centre to monitor the procedure.  On the export of PDS rice through the sea ports, Mr. Manohar has said that nearly 25,000 metric tonnes of paddy, seized during the recent raids in Kakinada, was supplied through the PDS and procured by the rice mafia.

On supply of red gram through the Public Distribution System, Mr. Manohar has stated that the State government was importing red gram from various States to ensure that all the PDS beneficiaries would get the red gram from November.