Begin typing your search above and press return to search.

Centre to step up paddy procurement from State

By Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Oct 4 - The Central Government is committed to step up paddy procurement from farmers in the State through FCI and New Delhi has also asked the State Government to open more procurement centres across Assam.

Addressing a press meet here today, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan said that procurement of paddy in Assam is a priority of the government.

�FCI Assam Region has procured 53,000 MT of paddy this year against a target of 55,000 MT. The State Government has also procured around 9,900 MT against a target of 20,000 MT. This is the highest ever procurement in Assam,� Paswan said.

He said that the Centre has asked the State Government to open more procurement centres and added that FCI has also started the process of e-procurement.

�Depot Online System has been implemented in Assam Region in the FCI-owned depots. Out of 20 FCI depots, nine have already started operations through Depot Online System. The other depots will also be covered soon under the system,� Paswan said.

The minister said that 2.49 crore people in Assam have been covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). While coverage in urban areas of the State is 60.35 per cent, it is over 84 per cent among the rural population.

�The monthly allocation of the NFSA rice is 1.35 lakh MT at the rate of Rs 3 per kg, while the allocation of wheat is 5,781 MT,� Paswan said.

The system of Direct Benefit Transfer will be started on pilot basis at Nagaon from December.

He said the storage capacity at godowns in the State is now 2.79 lakh MT and the target is to increase the capacity to at least 5.2 lakh MT so that space for sufficient buffer can be created.

Next Story