Nadendla Manohar inspects paddy procurement, says every grain brought by farmers will be purchased

Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar visited Gandigunta, Pedana, Guduru and Machilipatnam on Wednesday to review paddy procurement and assured farmers that the government is committed to purchasing every grain brought to the procurement centres.

Speaking after meeting farmers in Gandigunta, Mr. Manohar said that the State has ensured that paddy purchased at Minimum Support Price (MSP) is paid within 24 hours of purchase.

He said in many places, including Machilipatnam, the money was transferred to farmers’ bank accounts in less than four hours.

The government has so far procured 2.36 lakh tonnes of paddy, which is 36% higher than the same period last year, he said, adding that Rs 560 crore has been directly deposited into the accounts of 32,793 farmers, including 6,600 tenant farmers.

He said the government has set a target of procuring 51 lakh tonnes of paddy this season, the highest ever in Andhra Pradesh. In Krishna district, the target was to supply 7.9 lakh tonnes and the management was working round the clock to ensure the process goes smoothly.

The minister said about 98% of e-Crop registrations in the region have already been completed and appealed to farmers to report any discrepancies so that corrections can be made immediately.

Mr. Manohar also said stringent measures have been implemented to eliminate middlemen. Teams attached to the District Collector were monitoring moisture levels, weighing procedures and mill operations to avoid any irregularities.

He said large-scale arrangements have been made where thousands of vehicles have been deployed for transport and staff are working in over 4,000 Rythu Bharosa Kendras which act as supply centres.

He added that the government has also kept 6.5 crore bags ready and made tarpaulins available free of charge to protect paddy from unseasonal rains.

During his visit to Pedana, the Minister inspected the paddy drying heaps along with MLA Kagita Krishna Prasad. In Machilipatnam, Civil Supplies Minister Sitarama Anjaneya accompanied by Excise Minister Kollu Ravindra inspected the Rice Mill.