Ministers will oversee the procurement of paddy in Odisha.
Arpit Pattnaik
Ministers in Odisha will be appointed as observers to supervise the procurement of Kharif paddy across the state. This decision was made during a review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at Lok Seva Bhawan on Tuesday.
“For the first time, an additional Rs 800 is being provided on top of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for paddy. As a result, farmers are optimistic. Each minister will be responsible for observing the procurement process in one or two districts to ensure complete transparency,” the Chief Minister stated.
“They will serve as the primary point of contact for the government. By visiting various districts and mandis, ministers can address farmers' issues and demonstrate the government's sincerity,” he added.
The Chief Minister emphasized the need for all concerned departments and district collectors to work collaboratively. He noted that 83.16 percent of registered farmers are small farmers and stressed that it is the responsibility of district collectors to facilitate the sales of paddy for these farmers without difficulties. He encouraged collectors to prioritize small farmers during procurement.
Additionally, he suggested that the collectors extend the validity of tokens given to small farmers, if necessary. He urged authorities to conduct a comprehensive awareness campaign through special WhatsApp groups and other channels to ensure farmers bring only Fair Average Quality (FAQ) paddy to the mandis, thereby avoiding issues like 'Katni Chhatni' during procurement.
The Chief Minister directed the maintenance of complete transparency in the FAQ examination and asked district collectors to hold management officers in the mandis accountable for paddy quality. It was also decided to appoint an official to ensure effective management of the mandis. A supervisor will oversee operations in four to five mandis, and these operations will be monitored via a central dashboard.
Collectors in border districts have been instructed to deploy enforcement squads in various locations near the borders to prevent farmers from neighboring states from selling their paddy in Odisha due to rising prices. They have been asked to maintain strict surveillance on roads leading to neighboring states using CCTV cameras.
Furthermore, Automatic Grain Analyzers will be installed in 200 large mandis, and manual Grain Analyzers will be set up in smaller mandis to assess paddy quality. A Quality Analyst and Quality Supervisor will be appointed at every paddy procurement center to examine and certify the paddy.
District collectors, along with officials from the cooperative, supply, and agriculture departments, have been directed to modernize the yards. The state government has allocated Rs 550 crore for the modernization of these facilities.
