Telangana’s Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies, N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, addressed farmers’ worries about rain-soaked paddy, emphasizing that the government is actively safeguarding the grains and ensuring their procurement. A video conference chaired by Reddy included officials like Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka and Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao to review the impact of unexpected rains on paddy procurement operations. The government, monitoring procurement daily, is striving to meet district-wise procurement targets.
In response to unseasonal rains affecting some districts, authorities swiftly intervened as reports of rain-drenched paddy surfaced from 17 districts, involving around 9,214 tonnes. A significant salvage operation was initiated to move nearly 95% of the soaked paddy to boiled rice mills, averting substantial crop losses. Despite challenges, the state has managed to procure 57 lakh tonnes out of 66.75 lakh tonnes of paddy arrivals, with Rs 10,096 crore already disbursed to over 8.14 lakh farmers under MSP payments.
Efforts intensified as vehicles were mobilized early morning to transport drenched stocks to mills, with around 9 lakh tonnes of paddy still pending procurement. The minister emphasized the importance of the next few days for successful procurement operations, directing the utilization of lorries for paddy transportation and ensuring preparedness for potential labor shortages during Bakrid holidays.
