No Paddy Procurement In Odisha After March 31 Deadline: Minister

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has made it clear that the process of procurement of paddy from farmers will come to an end after March 31, the deadline fixed for the exercise this year.

Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra said on Tuesday that the move is in line with the state government’s strategy to efficiently meet the objectives of procurement.

The state government has successfully collected around 6.5 lakh metric tonnes of paddy so far, which reportedly represents a substantial achievement by fulfilling over 90 per cent of its intended target.

Farmers have been advised to have their harvests ready and delivered before the deadline to ensure their inclusion in the government’s purchasing scheme. Any delay beyond the March 31 deadline, risks exclusion from the paddy procurement process.

Notably, two officials were placed under suspension on February 16 over alleged irregularities and dereliction of duty at a mandi in Machhagaon under Balikuda block of Jagatsinghpur district.