The Hindu : Paddy ryots get their due: Kodela

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 18, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Paddy ryots get their due: Kodela

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD June 17. The Government has procured so far 19,74,408 tonnes of rice -- 13,03,414 tonnes of raw rice and 6,70,994 tonnes of boiled rice -- during rabi 2001-2002.

Disclosing this at a press conference after an all-party meeting on procurement of rice here on Monday, K. Sivaprasada Rao, Minister for Civil Supplies, said Collectors had been asked to ensure procurement of 18 lakh tonnes of raw rice and 12 lakh tonnes of boiled rice before June 30, the end of the season.

The Minister said MSP was ensured to all farmers during the rabi season and action was initiated against 96 rice mills (blacklisted) and 250 rice mills had been served with show cause notices for not giving MSP to farmers. Those mills would be allowed to function only if they reimbursed the amount to farmers. Asking farmers to cultivate only raw rice, he said paraboiled rice mills must be converted into raw rice mills. The Centre was being requested to purchase 75 per cent of the surplus rice instead of a lower quantity through the FCI. He assured procurement during the next kharif season would be much better.

In addition to 218 marketyards, 4,377 mill points had been declared purchase points. In all, 633 clusters of mills had been formed, 621 mobile and 222 stationary supervisory teams had been constituted to supervise MSP operations.

Earlier, the CPI (M) representatives, P. Madhu and B. Tulasidas, urged the Government to revise its procurement policy to the benefit of the farmers. Despite claims of MSP being given, farmers nowhere got the MSP, they said.

The meeting was attended by K. Rosaiah of the the Congress, Ch. Ranga Rao of the BJP, K. Nageswara Rao of the CPI and N. Sivaprasad and Mohd Ahmed Sharief of the TDP in addition to the Minister of Agriculture, V. Sobhanadreeswara Rao, and D. Anjaneyulu, Minister for Marketing.

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