Thiruvananthapuram: The state govt is considering bringing private rice mills under a centralized procurement framework led by Supplyco to reduce dependence on private players in the paddy procurement process, food and civil supplies minister Anoop Jacob informed the assembly on Monday.The minister said the govt would examine the feasibility of introducing a Supplyco-centred system for rice mills and take appropriate action based on its findings. “If mills could be brought under a Supplyco-centred system, it would be beneficial. The govt will examine the circumstances and feasibility of such a move and take appropriate action,” Jacob said.He also warned that inspections would be conducted against private rice mills that fail to complete procurement-related procedures within the stipulated timeframe. Anoop said inadequate storage facilities continue to pose major challenges for farmers during paddy procurement. To address the issue, the govt would explore the possibility of setting up godowns as intermediary storage facilities.He clarified that there are no plans to modify the existing paddy receipt sheet (PRS) loan scheme, under which loans provided through Kerala Bank and other consortium banks serve as advance payments to farmers. The state govt bears the responsibility for repaying both the principal and interest under the scheme.However, measures would be introduced to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the system. The govt plans to integrate the Supplyco portal with the banking consortium through web services to ensure timely availability of payment-related information.The minister said delays by banks in updating payment details have triggered complaints from farmers, who claim that the lapses have adversely affected their credit scores.“The objective is to introduce technological changes in the portal to ensure that such issues do not recur in the coming years,” Jacob said, adding that steps would be strengthened to ensure procurement payments are credited directly to farmers’ bank accounts without delay.He also told the House that paddy procurement dues amounting to Rs 702 crore were pending when the previous govt demitted office. He assured members that the govt would expedite the clearance of pending payments and ensure the prompt transfer of procurement prices to farmers.
