Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has warned millers against purchasing paddy from farmers at lower prices and said that the government will not tolerate any attempts to ‘deceive’ farmers.
He directed the officials to take stringent action against those resorting to such practices. “Steps should be initiated to cancel trade licences of millers and traders purchasing food grain at lower prices and blacklist them,” he said.
Mr. Revanth Reddy gave these directions during a review meeting on paddy purchase and drinking water supply with senior officials on Friday. Ministers N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy were present. The CM said that it had come to the notice of the government that millers/traders were lowering prices citing high moisture content in paddy. Farmers should take steps to dry the food grain before bringing it to the agricultural market yards rather than moving the commodity directly from the farm yards.
In this regard, he directed officials to make arrangements enabling farmers to dry their crops in the market yards. Steps should be taken to instal CCTV network in the market yards to avoid thefts and other malpractices.
Collectors were directed to inspect the market yards and paddy procurement centres in their respective jurisdiction and take steps to ensure hassle-free purchase of paddy. They should take steps to ensure that farmers secured minimum support price for their produce and see that complaints received from the ryots are redressed as early as possible.
He directed the officials at the State level to monitor the procurement process on a daily basis. Officials from the departments concerned should also undertake field visits to check the procurement process. The special officers appointed for proper drinking water supply in the districts should simultaneously monitor the procurement process in their respective areas.
Arrangements should made to position tarpaulins in all market yards as a precautionary measure to protect food grains in the event of rains. The Chief Minister cautioned officials regarding attempts to tarnish the image of the government by some parties to gain political mileage in the election season. Expressing concern that reports were deliberately being published against the government in this regard, he directed the officials to take such developments to the notice of the election authorities from time to time.
