: Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Friday announced an e-procurement scheme and payment through Electronic Clearing Service (ECS) to remove what she called “systemic deficit” in paddy procurement and to ensure that farmers were paid in time.
The Chief Minister told the Assembly that the e-procurement scheme would be implemented in the current year at a cost of Rs. 13.43 crore. Since the procurement process is not computerised, currently the payment is not being credited to the account of farmers through ECS.
“Now, direct procurement centres will get point-of-sale machine, computer, printer and electronic weighing scale and it would result in improving the efficiency of procurement centres,” she said.
Farmers could register details including their name, land, area of cultivation, harvest period and mobile number at the procurement centres.
“They will receive information on procurement and need not wait at the centres. After procurement, details about payment, movement of paddy and the area godown will be published on the website. Farmers will get a receipt and the amount will be credited to their account through ECS,” she said.
The Chief Minister also announced construction of modern rice mills, storage godowns and silos to improve the quality of rice supplied through the public distribution system.
A modern rice mill at Valangaiman taluk in Tiruvarur distrct with a capacity of hulling 30,000 tonnes of paddy would be constructed at a cost of Rs. 20 crore. Two more godowns in Kottur and Needamangalam, each with a capacity of 10,000 tonnes, to be built at a cost of Rs. 40 crore would have conveyors, stackers and loaders. The government would also construct new buildings for the direct procurement centres at a cost of Rs. 20 crore, she assured.
Ms. Jayalalithaa said her government had decided to construct two silos at a cost of Rs. 40 crore in Thanjavur and Tiruvarur districts to protect the paddy from the vagaries of nature. The storage capacity of each silo would be 15,000 tonne.
The Chief Minister also announced the construction of five warehouses in Ambasamudram, Arakkonam, Namakkal, Manamadurai and Cuddalore. The total capacity of these warehouses is 16,600 tonnes and they could be utilised by local farmers, private sugar factories, Food Corporation of India, and cement and fertiliser manufactures.
