Cabinet sub-committee discusses preparations for paddy procurement

Central Chronicle News
Raipur, Aug 10: The first meeting of cabinet sub-committee, constituted for procurement of paddy on support price from the farmers in the Kharif Marketing Year 2021-22 concluded here today. Arrangements for registration of farmers in the next Kharif year and availability of adequate gunny bags for paddy procurement and custom milling were discussed at the meeting which was chaired by Food Minister Amarjeet Bhagat.
During discussion on all necessary preparations for the procurement of paddy in the next Kharif marketing year, emphasis was laid on the availability of gunny bags on priority. In the event of non-supply of gunny bags from central government agencies during paddy procurement last year arrangements were made for purchase of gunny bags from public distribution system and farmers for procurement of paddy on support price. This year also it has been decided to arrange additional gunny bags on local level like last year along with the arrangements of gunny bags from central agencies. The cabinet sub-committee meeting was also attended by Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Minister Ravindra Choubey, Forest and Transport Minister Md Akbar, School Education Minister Dr Premsai Singh Tekam and Higher Education Minister Umesh Patel.
Issue of strengthening Chhattisgarh Cooperative Society was also discussed in detail. With a view to ensure smooth paddy procurement in the next Kharif Marketing Year 2021-22 measures for empowerment of the committee were also discussed. Discussion was also held regarding the honorarium of computer operators working in the paddy procurement centers. Stress was laid after high level discussion to sympathetically consider this issue in the interests of these employees. Custom milling of 92 lakh metric tonnes of paddy procured on support price in the Kharif marketing year 2020-21 was also discussed. It was also discussed in the meeting to increase the time period of 72 hours for paddy lifting from the societies. Discussions were also held regarding auction and transportation of surplus paddy after delivery in Central Pool of Food Corporation of India and Chhattisgarh State Public Distribution System in the last Kharif marketing year.
The meeting was also attended by Civil Supplies Corporation Chairman Ramgopal Agrawal, Apex Bank Chairman Baijnath Chandrakar, Food Secretary Topeshwar Verma, Revenue Secretary Reeta Shandilya, Cooperative Department Managing Director Himshikhar Gupta, MARKFED Managing Director Kiran Koushal, CSC MD Niranjan Das and KN Tande of Apex Bank.