Karimnagar Accelerates Paddy and Maize Procurement Drive

Hyderabad — State Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar has called for stepped-up efforts to streamline the paddy and maize procurement operation across Karimnagar district, emphasizing the need to eliminate delays and reduce hardship for farming communities.

During a review session held Monday at the district collectorate, Prabhakar convened officials, legislators, and stakeholders to assess procurement progress. The gathering included MLAs Kavvampalli Satyanarayana and Medipalli Satyam, State Library Chairman Sattu Mallesh, District Collector Chitra Mishra, Police Commissioner Gaus Alam, representatives from rice milling operations, and transport associations.

The minister instructed district officials to remove bottlenecks at procurement hubs and maintain momentum throughout the buying season. This directive follows Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy's recent video conference with district-level administrators, during which he outlined expectations for the procurement framework.

Procurement Targets and Progress

Karimnagar district has set a procurement goal of approximately three lakh metric tonnes of paddy for the current season. Farmers have already delivered nearly three lakh metric tonnes to 314 designated procurement centres across the district.

To date, officials have acquired 1.58 lakh metric tonnes, leaving 1.5 lakh metric tonnes remaining. Prabhakar instructed the administration to complete this balance "on a war footing."

Payment processing has reached 63 per cent completion, with banks having transferred Rs. 237.39 crore directly into farmer accounts.

Addressing Operational Challenges

The minister urged rice mill operators and transport companies to bolster their participation, particularly by increasing lorry availability for grain movement. He also directed officials to maintain adequate labour supply at procurement centres and rice mills, cautioning against situations where farmers face extended waiting periods after delivery.

Prabhakar instructed the administration to deploy contingency measures to prevent work stoppages due to insufficient workers. Where PACS (Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies) centres are experiencing capacity constraints, additional personnel should be stationed to maintain service levels.

The government's overarching aim, Prabhakar stressed, remains completing the procurement cycle without imposing undue burden on cultivators.