HYDERABAD
With the State government deciding to procure paddy from farmers and supply raw rice to the Centre, the administration of erstwhile Medak district is getting ready for the procurement of paddy and already centres are being established.
As many as 155 centres are coming up in Sangareddy district and the officials are expecting about 75,000 metric tonnes of paddy to arrive.
At several places, as farmers did not cultivate paddyor went for other alternative crops, the arrival is expected to be low.
Collector M. Hanumantha Rao recently held a review meeting with officials on the arrangements and they were instructed to see that all the produce does not come to the centre at a time in bulk quantities from farmers, thereby creating problems at the centres as well as for farmers to wait for longer days. They were also asked to keep drinking water, ORS packets, primary health kits and sanitisers available at these centres. Officials were asked to be ready with tarpaulins, moisture machines and paddy cleaners and see that paddy does not get stuck at these centres for more than three days.
Farmers were asked to bring paddy to the centres only after getting it dried properly so that there is no moisture problem. One officer for each centre was entrusted with the responsibility for smooth functioning of these centres.
At Jinnaram, MLA G Mahipal Reddy already started a paddy procurement centre.
Coming to Medak district, as many as 340 centres were proposed to get established in the district with 50 centres have already started functioning. 3.6 lakh metric tonnes of paddy is expected to arrive at procurement centres, according to District Civil Supplies officer K. Srinivas.
In Siddipet district, 412 procurement centres are being established and Finance Minister T. Harish Rao called upon the officials to take all steps so that farmers do not face any problem. He held a teleconference with officials and public representatives in this regard on Monday.
