Amaravati, Nov 27 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh Civil Supplies Minister N Manohar on Thursday said that the state has procured over eight lakh tonne of paddy and deposited nearly Rs 1,700 crore into their accounts.
Manohar urged farmers to avoid engaging with middlemen and sell paddy directly at Minimum Support Price (MSP) emphasising transparent procurement systems to ensure that they receive correct payments without delays.
“We have procured 8.22 lakh tonne of paddy so far, depositing Rs 1,713 crore into farmers’ accounts to ensure payments are credited within four to six hours,” Manohar said addressing a press conference.
He said that the government ensures payment within six hours of procurement to safeguard farmers and added that farmers should stay vigilant against alleged misinformation spread by opposition leaders to undermine procurement operations.
He noted that Krishna district achieved a record by procuring over one lakh tonne of paddy, while Godavari district together contributed over one lakh tonne through coordinated procurement operations.
He highlighted that registration of trucks increased from 394 previously to 2,715 under the NDA coalition government, adding that pending transport payments of Rs 9 crore were cleared today.
Manohar said over seven crore gunny bags were arranged at Rythu Seva Kendras with one lakh extra bags on standby.
The minister said that early procurement began due to weather concerns, observing that the state government is prepared to procure 51 lakh tonne of paddy as per central government norms.
Alleging that middlemen were misleading farmers, Manohar highlighted that the state is offering an MSP of Rs 1,792 per 75-kg paddy’s bag for ensuring fair and timely payments.
He said isolation centres would operate from December 1, and 24,000 GPS-equipped lorries were ready with tarpaulin sheets arranged to protect tenant farmers from rainfall.
The minister urged farmers not to sell produce at lower rates, asserting that the Civil Supplies Department was working sincerely to support every registered farmer across districts.
He said that the government is ready to purchase the entire registered crop and prioritised top-quality rice for mid-day meals and instructed officials to procure every bag. PTI MS STH KH
