Govt committed to farmers’ welfare: Yogi

LUCKNOW: As much as 52.47 lakh metric tons (LMT) of paddy has been purchased from 7.82 lakh farmers, with a payment of ₹11,170.55 crore made to date, even as procurement in eastern UP is ongoing, according to a government spokesman.

“Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held a meeting to review the progress of paddy procurement for the 2023-24 Kharif season here on Saturday. He emphasised that the welfare of farmers is the government’s foremost priority, and strict action will be taken against any negligence in paddy procurement,” the spokesman said.

A total of 5,206 procurement centres have been established, with 10,45,946 farmers registering online for paddy sales. “Rice mills are being automated for paddy transportation from procurement centres. Monitoring is being conducted to ensure transparency in the entire process, and GPS-equipped vehicles are being used for the first time in 40 districts with higher paddy purchases,” he added.

The CM Helpline, established at the food department’s call centre is addressing any difficulties related to paddy procurement at the state, district, and block levels.

“The helpline has resolved issues for 91,842 farmers by receiving feedback calls and addressing problems related to paddy sales and payments. Out of 1,118 complaints received at the food department’s call centre regarding paddy procurement, 1,090 have been resolved, and the remaining 28 are being addressed,” the spokesman claimed.

The procurement target for paddy is set at 70 LMT. The minimum support price for common paddy is fixed at ₹2,183 per quintal, and for grade-A paddy, it is ₹2,203 per quintal. Paddy procurement in western UP is over, but it will continue in eastern UP districts until February 29.