Govt releases Rs 1,000 cr for payment to paddy farmers

Vijayawada: Civil supplies minister Nadendla Manohar announced that the state government had released Rs 1,000 crore towards the arrears to be paid to paddy farmers. “It is the responsibility of the state government to pay money to the farmers after procuring paddy,” he said.

Manohar alleged that the previous YSRCP government had not paid dues worth Rs 1,659 crore to the paddy farmers and the current government has taken initiative to clear the dues.

Addressing media at the Civil Supplies Corporation office at Kanuru here on Thursday, Manohar said after had taken the plight of the paddy farmers to the notice of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan, the Chief Minister responded positively and immediately sanctioned Rs 1,000 crore. The amount will be distributed to the farmers as payment for the paddy, he said, adding another Rs 650 crore would be released later.

Stating that the financial condition of Civil Supplies Corporation is very bad, he said the NDA government would financially stabilise the corporation in the coming months. Referring to payments to the paddy farmers, he said farmers who gave the paddy to the government first will get the money first. He informed that paddy farmers of East Godavari, Konaseema, East Godavari, Krishna and Bapatla will receive their dues first. Referring to rice exports from Kakinada port, the minister said the state government would check the food mafia.

It is the responsibility of the civil supplies department officials and tahsildars to curb illegal transportation of PDS rice. He said the state government is spending Rs 45 for each kg of PDS rice and selling it to the ration card holders at Rs 1 a kg. He said people should also think about it and should not be part of diversion of PDS rice.

Observing that Kakinada became the hub of illegal rice export, he said the state government would check the network of rice supply and export at any cost.