State to procure 15 lakh MTs of raw rice

Hyderabad, Sept 3: The State Government has decided to procure 15 lakh Metric Tonnes of raw rice for KMS 2012-13 for meeting TPDS requirement.

The decision was taken during a review meeting held at Marri Chenna Reddy HRD Institute at Jubilee Hills by Civil Supplies Minister D Sreedhar Babu with the Joint Collectors, District Supply Officers and Depot Managers. Later, talking to reporters, the minister said that the rice would be procured through the State Civil Supplies Corporation. He pointed out that the APSCSCL has purchased 20 lakh MTs of paddy during KMS 2011-12 and with the same experience, it would purchase paddy as much as possible to ensure Minimum Support Price to farmers in KMS 2012-13.

The minister described the purchase of 15 lakh MTs of raw rice as a leap towards achieving self-sufficiency of rice required for TDPS by resorting to local procurement. He said it would facilitate optimal utilisation of paddy grown internally in the State. It would also accelerate the process of ensuring MSP to farmers and help in reducing redundancy of godown space, transport, hammali and also to overcome shortages of weighment and time constraints.

Sreedhar Babu said that in order to procure 15 lakh MTs, the godown space requirement was being estimated at 10 lakh MTs. Of this, 5 lakh MTs of godown space is the immediate requirement, which can be acquired before commencement of procurement season and the balance subsequently. In addition to this, 439 MLS points are to be strengthened by constructing scientific godowns with capacity ranging from 1,000-5,000 MTs in order to ensure storage of PDS rice required for a minimum period of six months, he said.

The Minister said that since the APSCSCL has to take up rice procurement partly, regular rake movement could be continued by Food Corporation of India in order to meet PDS requirement of deficit districts from surplus districts. Transportation is economical, if area of operation is bifurcated in each district between and FCI and CSC.

Commissioner Civil Supplies Harpreet Singh, FCI General Manager Kalyan Chakravarty, SCL Managing Director Varaprasad and other senior officials attended the meeting.

-       INN

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