The online paddy procurement process, which has been introduced in most of the Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACSs), is yet to be hundred per cent trouble free. However, efforts are afoot to resolve those problems during ensuing Rabi crop procurement, informed Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Sanjay Dasburma in the State Assembly on Saturday. The Minister said this while replying to a question put by Congress member Krushna Chandra Sagaria and additional questions made by many other members of the House.
The Minister said the online process faced problems in the beginning of procurement in almost all the districts but those have been rectified gradually. He said 60 per cent of farmers have been registered online during the current Kharif season. A total of 70.23 lakh metric tonne of paddy have been procured from farmers in the State.
He said highest 95 per cent of targeted paddy has been procured in Bargarh district. Similarly, 1.16 lakh metric tonne in Koraput, 30,686 metric tonne in Cuttack, over 2.28 metric tonne in Nabarangpur, have been procured by February 19. He assured the House that the Supply Department would purchase surplus paddy from farmers provided their names would be recommended by local people representatives.
Accusing the Centre of fixing a very low procurement rate per acre of land, Dasburma said the has fixed to procure 20 quintals of paddy from an acre of irrigated land and 14 quintals of paddy from an acre of non-irrigated land, which are above the rate fixed by the Centre. To a question on MSP hike, Dasburma said the State Government has already sent a proposal to the Centre to increase minimum support price of paddy to Rs 2,500 per quintal. Regarding infrastructural development, the Minister said.