HYDERABAD: Ahead of paddy procurement by state government agencies, inter-state borders have been put on alert to prevent entry of paddy from neighbouring states. The state government has decided to set up 51 check-posts on the state borders with Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh.
After a bitter war of words with the Union government, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao has decided to set up paddy procurement centres (PPCs), which will purchase the produce from farmers at Rs 1,960 per quintal.
There is scope for the arrival of paddy from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. There is a huge demand for rice in Maharashtra and paddy from there will not reach Telangana.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Nizamabad district collector C. Narayana Reddy said that they will set up check-posts at Pothangal and Kandakurthi on the Maharashtra border.
“We will increase surveillance on possible paddy procurement in the borders with Maharashtra in order to avoid illegal transportation”, he said. There is no check-post at Salura on the Nizamabad-Nanded highway.
Meanwhile, some farmers have already sold paddy to middlemen as they are unable to stock paddy after harvesting. There is no godown facility in villages and no space for farmers in their houses. After the government’s announcement on paddy procurement, farmers rushed to harvest the produce.
K. Kishan, a harvester driver said that he is unable to meet the demand of farmers. To dispose of the produce at the earliest, farmers are pressuring us to bring harvesters to the fields immediately, he said.
