By Express News Service
BHUBANESWAR:The State Government on Monday decided to procure 55 lakh metric tonne (LMT) of paddy during the kharif marketing season (KMS) 2018-19 beginning from October 1. A proposal in this regard was approved at the meeting of the Cabinet presided by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here. “The Cabinet has approved the Food and Procurement Policy for KMS 2018-19. A tentative target of 37 LMT in terms of rice has been fixed. In terms of paddy, this comes to around 55 LMT,” Chief Secretary AP Padhi told mediapersons.
Padhi, however, said there is no bar for procurement of any higher quantum if more paddy comes to the mandi from registered farmers. The past practice of deducting three quintals of paddy per member in the family of a farmer for consumption of marketable surplus of paddy has been waived from KMS 2018-19, he said and added that this will facilitate entry of more small and marginal farmers and actual tillers of the soil including sharecroppers into the procurement fold.
The Chief Secretary said the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister has been authorised to revise this target if the need arises. Paddy will be procured from the farmers who are registered in the online portal of Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare department.Paddy will be procured as per the Minimum Support Price (MSP) announced by the Centre. While the common variety paddy will be procured at `1,750 per quintal, the Grade-A variety paddy will be procured at `1,770 per quintal.
However, the paddy to be procured must conform to the fair average quality (FAQ) specifications by the Centre, Padhi said and added that the procuring agencies/district administration will make wide publicity regarding FAQ quality of paddy. Similarly, rice to be delivered by custom millers must conform to FAQ norm. Besides, the purchase of FAQ paddy at prices below MSP will be punishable under the Essential Commodities Act- 1955.
The Chief Secretary said paddy will be procured by the Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation (OSCSC) from all the districts and if necessary, other state agencies will be deployed in rice-surplus districts only.
The OSCSC and other agencies will procure paddy through PACS, LAMPCS, Women Self Help Groups (WSHGs) and Pani Panchayats, while emphasis will be given for opening of adequate number of Paddy Purchase Centers (Mandis) by the societies on behalf of procuring agencies.
The payment of farmers’ dues on account of paddy sold to the Government will be transferred directly to their bank accounts through online mode, Padhi said and added that all such payments will be made in 24 to 72 hours. The Cabinet also approved the Odisha Agriculture and Food Production Service (method of recruitment and constitution of service) Rules, 2018.
