Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar launches paddy procurement centres in Khammam district

Khammam: Though the Central government stands against paddy procurement from farmers, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has decided to procure paddy at village-level for the benefit of the farmers, stated Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar.

Ajay inaugurated paddy procurement centres at Kuppenakuntla village in Penuballi mandal and at Lingala village in Kallur mandal in the district on Tuesday. It was planned to procure about 3.5 lakh metric tonnes of paddy in the district in the season.

With the Chief Minister's decision, around 6,000 paddy procurement centres have been set up across the State. During the last three seasons, the government has procured every grain of paddy produced by farmers by ensuring transportation and speedy payments to the famers, the Minister explained.

Due to the pro-farmers measures such as free power supply, Rytu Bandhu and better irrigation facilities, crop cultivation area increased to 1.2 lakh acres. Telangana was on top place in procuring paddy for Food Corporation of India, he stated.

The Minister said that by next monsoon season, farmers in the district would be able to have better irrigation facilities with the supply of Godavari waters to Palair reservoir through Sita Rama Lift Irrigation Scheme.

Sathupalli MLA S Venkata Veeraiah stated that the BJP government at the Centre has introduced farm laws that advised against procurement of food grains from farmers by the government. But Chief Minister KCR, keeping farmers' welfare in view, has decided to procure paddy in this season. In last season, about 1.60 lakh metric tonnes of paddy was procured in Sathupalli Assembly constituency, he informed.

MLC B Lakshminarayana, DCC Bank Chairman K Nagabhushaiah, DCMS Chairman R Seshagiri Rao, Additional Collector N Madhusudhan, Civil Supplies Officer Rajender and others were present.