AP: Will purchase paddy, minister assures farmers

Kakinada: Civil Supplies minister Karumuri Venkata Nageswara Rao on Wednesday assured farmers that the government would purchase inundated paddy without considering that it contains moisture and the farmers need not worry about their damaged paddy.

The minister visited the cyclone-affected like Mogalturu, Narsapuram, Palakollu, Duvva, Attili, and Tanuku mandals and took stock of the situation.

He said that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has given instructions to officials to shift the paddy to rice mills and added that the Chief Minister would prevent farmers from suffering any loss.

He stated that rice millers have also agreed to purchase the paddy. To carry paddy from the fields, the farmers can engage their vehicles or hire them, he said. The minister also advised the farmers to follow procedures laid by the agriculture officials to save their crops.

He said the state administration has taken all steps to prevent any human or property loss. Narsapur RDO M. Achut Ambarish, Mogalturu Mandal Tahsildar G. Anitha Kumari, agriculture officer S. Abdul Rahim, and other officials accompanied the minister.