Hyderabad: Telangana has become a role model to the entire nation in adopting latest technology in procurement of paddy and payment of minimum support prices. The system adopted by the state has become a subject of interest to other states such as Punjab and Chhattisgarh that have sent their civil supplies officials here to study the Telangana model.
State Civil Supplies Corporation Chairman Mareddy Srinivas Reddy addressing the staff on the occasion of completing one year in office here on Saturday, said that his department is working for the welfare of farmers, as per the directions of the Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao. He said that the civil supplies department is an important wing of the government as it has farmers on one side and the poor on the other.
“The aim is to take essential commodities particularly rice to the door steps of the poor at the same time provide commensurate price to the farmers for the paddy they produce ,” Srinivas Reddy said. He attributed the bumper crop of paddy and other agricultural commodities in the state to the increased availability of irrigation through projects such a Kaleshwaram. “In addition 24 hours of quality power supply and schemes such as Rythu Bandhu have in fact increased agricultural productivity in the state.
Second in Paddy Procurement
Stating that there was tremendous growth in paddy yield and purchase after formation of the state he said that in 2014-15 Civil Supplies Corporation purchased 24 lakh metric tonnes of paddy, whereas in 2018-19 it reached 77 lakh metric tonnes. “In a span of five years purchases grown to 318 per cent. Last year Telangana stood second in the country in paddy procurement,” he said.
In last Kharif season Civil Supplies Corporation has purchased 40.41 lakh metric tons of paddy from 8,09,885 farmers through 3297 Paddy purchase centers (PPCs). In this Kharif season till now through 3,669 PPCs , 44 lakh metric tonnes paddy worth Rs. 7,830 crores is purchased from 8 lakh farmers. Another 2 lakh metric tonnes of paddy is expected.
Online Procurement System
Upgrade of Online Procurement Management System (OPMS) software has helped curbing middlemen intervention totally, he said Payments are made directly into the accounts of farmers without any delay. From 2016-17 till now 45 lakh farmers have been paid a sum of Rs. 37 thousand crores directly into their accounts
Similarly Ration portability has benefitted people who migrate from one place to another in search of employment. In Telangana 2.83 crore beneficiaries avail ration commodities through Public Distribution System. With introduction of portability system beneficiaries can take commodities from any ration shop near to them. Till now more than 3 crore transactions took place through portability
Rs 53 cr saved in fine quality rice purchase
“Civil supplies department is supplying 1.50 lakh metric tons of fine quality rice to welfare hostels and schools so that the students can have nice meal. After we bargained with the suppliers of the fine and regular grain rice , we could save Rs 37 cr last year and another Rs 16 cr this year taking the total savings to the tune of Rs 53 cr,” he said.
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