A day after the Union government made it clear to the State government that it would not procure parboiled rice from Telangana from this year with an advice against cultivating paddy this rabi season, the State government has given a call to the farming community against taking up paddy cultivation in rabi.
Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar along with Director General of Police M. Mahender Reddy held a video conference on Saturday with all District Collectors, Superintendents of Police, Commissioners of Police, Additional Collectors, District Agriculture Officers, District Supply Officers and others on procurement of paddy pertaining to the recent kharif season and on educating farmers against taking up paddy cultivation this rabi season.
The Chief Secretary explained that the Union Government represented by Food Corporation of India (FCI) had decided not to procure parboiled rice from Telangana from now on. He however stated that paddy grown in Telangana in Yasangi (rabi) season was suitable only for processing as parboiled rice due to the local seasonal conditions.
As a result, it had become imperative to the farming community not take up paddy cultivation in rabi. However, farmers who have tie-up either with seed companies or rice millers could cultivate paddy in rabi. Besides, farmers could also raise the crop for self-consumption or at their own risk.
On the ongoing exercise of procurement of paddy produce in kharif, the Chief Secretary told the officials to speed up procurement. He told the District Collectors to ensure the procurement exercise happens smoothly and told them to take decision on opening paddy procurement centres (PPCs) as per requirement. He also told the Collectors and other senior officers to visit PPCs regularly to resolve issues, if any.
No from other States
The Chief Secretary also cautioned the officials against allowing paddy from the neighbouring States stating that certain instances of paddy from other States coming to PPCs were noticed already. He instructed the Collectors, SPs and CPs to ensure that no outside paddy is purchased/produced in Telangana PPCs.
He said allowing paddy from other States at PPCs in Telangana would be against the interests of the State’s farmers. He also stated that the Centre had indicated about lifting only 40 lakh tonnes of raw rice of the recent kharif season.
On milling of paddy purchased at PPCs, the Chief Secretary told the Collectors to speed up milling of paddy to process it as custom milled rice (CMR). It is also important to dispatch CMR immediately after processing to ensure that there is no shortage of space for paddy stock coming from PPCs.
KCR to brief party MPs
Meanwhile, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will discuss the refusal of Centre to buy paddy from the State in the ongoing rabi at a meeting of the parliamentary party of TRS on Sunday. He will guide the TRS MPs of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on the party strategy in the winter session of the Parliament, which is beginning from Monday, a release said.
