State Food Supply and Finance Minister, Rameshwar Oraon on Wednesday instructed the officials executing paddy procurement to ensure paddy should be procured only after getting dried, the department should not procure wet paddy.
Oraon said that the State Government has decided to buy paddy by February 15, so there is no need to worry those farmers whose paddy has not yet dried completely in the fields. He said that due to good rains this year, there has been good production of paddy and it is expected that more paddy will be procured than last year.
The Food Supply Minister also said that this time the payment of 50 per cent of the total amount will be paid to the farmers within three days of the sale of paddy, the remaining amount will also be transferred to the bank account of the farmers soon. He informed that due to good crop this year, record paddy is expected to be procured and at the same time, necessary steps have also been taken by the State Government to eliminate the role of middlemen so that the farmers could get maximum profit of their product.
Oraon said that the State Government is continuously making plans to increase the income of farmers, in the previous government the farmers had a shortage of manure-seeds, but now that shortage has been overcome and to eliminate black marketing of fertilizer continuously works are being done to ensure timely availability of fertilisers for the farmers.
An appeal was made to all the farmers of the State to get measured moisture of their paddy. Arrangements have been made to measure the wetness of the paddy through the Hygrometer of the farmers' in all the districts of the State. All the registered farmers will receive an SMS on their registered mobile number after which they will sell their paddy at the procurement center. Half amount will be given immediately after getting the receipt of the paddy. Within 15 days to a month, the total amount will be transferred to the farmers’ bank account at the rate of Rs 20.50 per kg.
State spokesperson Alok Kumar Dubey and Lal Kishorenath Shahdeo gave information to this effect quoting the Finance Minister.