Set to Cross Record 75 Lakh MT Paddy Procurement: Deputy CM Bhatti

Hyderabad: Reinforcing the state government’s commitment to agrarian welfare, Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka stated that the state is on the verge of creating history by surpassing all previous records in Rabi paddy procurement. Participating in a high-level review alongside Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and district collectors, the Deputy CM assured farmers that every single grain produced in the state would be purchased systematically.

The announcement comes at a crucial juncture as the state healthily approaches its target of procuring 75 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) of paddy for the season, with recorded procurement already touching an impressive 70.06 LMT.

With the monsoon expected to gain momentum shortly, Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka directed district collectors to eliminate bottlenecks on a war footing, particularly in districts where paddy arrivals are still actively continuing from the fields. Special instructions were issued for vulnerable districts including Nizamabad, Nirmal, Nagarkurnool, Wanaparthy, and Vikarabad.

“Our priority is to safeguard the hard work of our farmers. The procurement operations must be wrapped up efficiently before weather-related disruptions or untimely rains cause any damage to the harvested stocks,” the Deputy CM emphasized.

The state government has extended the official paddy procurement timeline until June 15 to accommodate late yields and ensure that no farmer is left stranded without minimum support price (MSP) benefits.

Echoing the stance of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, the Deputy CM highlighted that the state administration is executing this massive procurement drive despite facing a severe lack of cooperation from the Central Government. The state leadership has strictly criticized the Centre’s reported reluctance to lift the entirety of Telangana’s foodgrain stocks.

The state government has issued a clear notice to central agencies, demanding that they step up to lift the entire 75 LMT of paddy, alongside substantial yields of maize and jowar, rather than restricting intake to mere partial percentages.