Jeevan Reddy questions BRS over slow paddy procurement

HYDERABAD: Congress MLC T. Jeevan Reddy on Thursday hit out at the BRS government over its “utter disregard” in procuring paddy, expressing his surprise over the laxity in an election year. “It has procured just 50 per cent of a targeted 80 lakh tonnes. If not completed before May 31, farmers will suffer more losses as rains will start again,” said Jeevan Reddy.

Jeevan Reddy also said that Minister Gangula Kamalakar’s statement that the government would seek storage space outside the state, in Jaggaiahpet of AP and Bidar of Karnataka, due to the non-cooperation of millers, showed the government’s inefficiency. He demanded that the government blacklist millers who do not fall in line.

“Does the government not know that they can use the space in AMCs (agriculture marketing committees)? There are 100 Rythu Vedikas in each district. Besides that, they can use the netting option to store paddy in fields or in AMCs. None of these options has been used because the government hasn’t procured grains proactively so far,” the senior Congress leader said.

He said that the agricultural officer first assesses the paddy to certify its quality. Paddy is cleaned in the procurement centres. “The government should pay the farmers according to the weight first recorded. But the farmers are being issued a truck sheet after the paddy is weighed and shipped to the mills. The millers cut 10 kilograms of paddy per quintal, in the name of wastage. The government is ignoring such practices.”