No facilities at paddy procurement centres worry farmers

Nirmal: While the Central and State governments are confusing the farmers and people by holding dharnas, rasta rokos over paddy purchase, the farmers in Telangana State were even more confused and in dilemma as the purchase centres lacks minimum facilities.

The State government has set up 183 purchasing centers in Nirmal district and only 50 of them are available. The purchase target of grain is 1.30 lakh metric tons.

So far about 7,000 metric tons of paddy was procured from 85 procurement centers in the district. Farmers are worried as when it will rain in the State due to cyclone impact as paddy may get wet.

The officials advising farmers to come and dry the grain as moisture content is high as the paddy was stored in gunny bags in open area of the market further added their woes.

In some procurement centers, there is no proper ground to dry paddy, while others have no proper facilities. In some procurement centers, purchasing is going on slowly due to lack of Hamalis (laborers). Its learnt that purchasing has been halted due to lack of laborer in Bhainsa mandal.

Though the government instructed the officials concerned to provide facilities at procurement centers, due to lack of enough marketing staff, officials are allegedly neglecting government orders.

Speaking to The Hans India, in-charge DSO Sudharani said that they have called tenders for transporting paddy from procurement centers, following the government orders and will soon transport paddy from procurement centers to rice mills and farmers need not to worry over it.