Bhubaneswar: After six days of unrest in Odisha Assembly over alleged irregularities in paddy procurement and mandi issues, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain on Friday stated that the paddy procurement process will be completed in a time-bound manner.
The Minister informed the House that 61.24 lakh tonnes of kharif paddy has been procured till date and the beneficiary farmers have been paid Rs 11,441 crore Minimum Support Price (MSP). The procurement will continue till March 31, he added.
Swain said, so far 61.24 lakh metric tonnes of paddy has been procured which is 18% more compared to the kharif procurement last year.
Till date 11.5 lakh farmers have sold their paddy to the Government against 9.3 lakh last year which indicates more participation of farmers, he added.
The Minister further assured the House as per Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s direction it will be ensured that all registered and bona fide farmers sell their paddy hassle-free.
The FS&CW and Cooperation Minister also appraised the House on the several measures being taken across the State to ensure smooth paddy procurement in this kharif season.
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