Arrangements in place to procure rabi paddy

Vizianagaram: The district revenue and civil supplies departments have made extensive arrangements to purchase paddy produced this rabi season. The civil supplies department drew flak for its inability to purchase paddy till the end of March and to pay the bills on time in the kharif season.

To avoid such criticism for rabi, the district administration has made all necessary arrangements for procuring the paddy, which is grown in 6,200 acre in the district with an expected yield of and around 9,000 tonne.

The farmers have sufficient water facility either through borewells or channel water under Thotapalli and Vengalaraya Sagar, Pedda gedda projects in Badangi, Terlam and Pachipenta.

Civil supplies district manager K Meena Kumari said, "We have conducted training for our staff, including Rythu Bharosa Kendra, on purchasing paddy. Around 6,000 gunny bags have been supplied to RBKs, and more will be provided if necessary. We are ready to buy around 6,290 tonne paddy in this season."

District collector A Suryakumari said they were facilitating the farmers to bring their paddy to all 167 RBKs in this district. The government would pay the transportation costs too. Seventy-eight self-help groups have also been made part of this purchasing and the government will support them in all aspects, she added.

K Narayana, a farmer of Terlam mandal said he was expecting around 30 bags of paddy in this rabi season. "But it will take 10 more days for harvesting and I will take the produce to the paddy purchasing centre in Terlam. This time I am expecting timely payment for my crop," he said.