Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar visited Khammam district on Saturday and directed officials to finish Yasangi paddy procurement by the first week of July. He expressed disappointment with the officials for their slow procurement and transportation of paddy, and asked them why they were delaying the process. The minister reviewed the situation with officers from various departments, rice millers, and transport contractors. He reminded them to take measures to ensure that farmers would not face difficulties with procurement and transportation.
Around 300,000 metric tonnes of paddy was cultivated in the district, and it was expected that around 200,000 metric tonnes of paddy would be brought to procurement centres. However, only 30,000 metric tonnes have been procured so far, which is a concern for officials. They explained that untimely rains in some places created difficulties. There was also a delay at the Food Corporation of India (FCI) warehouses due to lack of storage capacity.
To address the situation, the Minister suggested making alternative arrangements and using a 20,000 metric ton capacity warehouse at Jinkala thanda in Raghunadhapalem mandal in the district. He spoke to the FCI General Manager on the phone and asked for permission to store paddy in the warehouse. The Minister also suggested creating a WhatsApp group for all those involved in paddy procurement to coordinate their work.
In addition to addressing paddy procurement issues, the Transport Minister also inaugurated a Basti Dawakhana and Yoga Centre in the city and distributed Kalyana Lakshmi/Shaadi Mubarak cheques worth Rs 1.17 crore to 117 beneficiaries. He also inaugurated three model tennis courts at Saradhar Patel stadium in Khammam.
