Suryapet: Tardy procurement of paddy irks Minister G Jagadish Reddy

Suryapet: Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy has expressed his concern over the delay in grain purchases and has ordered officials to speed up the procurement process.

The Minister conducted a review with officials from various departments, millers, and transport contractors at the Suryapet District Collector's office, along with District Collector Venkatarao, Spirajendra Prasad, and Additional Collector Mohan Rao.

The Minister was surprised to learn that only 20,000 bags had been collected so far, despite the purchase target for the Rabi season being 70,4,000 metric tonnes from the district.

He criticized officials for the slow progress and directed the District Collector to appoint a special officer to oversee the procurement process. The Minister warned that action would be taken if the purchase process was not expedited.

He also questioned why only 37 out of the 72 rice mills in the district had come forward to purchase grain. The Minister stressed the need to appoint adequate porters on a war footing to expedite grain purchases, and advised that there should be no cuts in quality standards.

He also emphasized that it was the authorities' responsibility to educate farmers about quality.

The Minister's orders come as the procurement of grain has been underway for 15 days in 213 centers, and efforts are being made to meet the purchase target before the end of the Rabi season.