FCI to procure paddy from October 15

Rajiv Mahajan

NURPUR, OCTOBER 6

Following persistent demands of the farmers in the lower Kangra district, the state government has notified three procurement centres in lower Kangra and the FCI will start procuring paddy from October 15. The Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumers Affairs has notified these centres at Tyora of Mand area in Indora sub division, Riyali, and grain mandi in Fatehpur sub division of Kangra district.

As per official information the Himachal Pradesh State Marketing Board (HPSAMB) will hand over these centres to the FCI by October 10 after ensuring all basic facilities like drinking water, toilets and fans for cleaning food grains. The FCI will have to arrange technical manpower at these centres. The district administration will ensure setting up of all requisite infrastructure in these centres for smooth procurement of paddy.

The farmers will have to register themselves on the procurement portal of the FCI from October 7. Dry run of the procurement process for the selected farmers will be undertaken from October 11, whereas the actual procurement will begin on October 15.

The Tribune had highlighted the plight of the farmers of the Mand area in Indora sub division of Kangra district in these columns on September 30 after they were declined procurement of paddy crop at FCI centres in Mukerian of Hoshiarpur district in the neighbouring Punjab.

Meanwhile, progressive farmers Suresh Singh of Malkana, Anoop Singh and Sat Pal of Thakurdwara and Ranbir Singh and Ajay Singh of Chatta village said that the procurement of cereals at the MSP was a long-standing demand of the farmers of the Mand area and the FCI should set up a permanent procurement centre in the area so that food grain growers do not fall prey to the private players to sell their yield at throwaway price.

Raj Kumar Bhadwaj, secretary Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), Kangra told The Tribune that the APMC had identified locations for all three procurement centres notified by the state government in Indora and Fatehpur sub divisions. He said the FCI would procure paddy from October 15 at the Maximum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 1,940 per quintal as announced by the Government of India for ‘A’ grade paddy. He reiterated that the state government had also laid the foundation stone of Rs 2.50 crore fruit and grain market at Riyali in lower mand area in June and its tender was expected to be floated next month.