Hyderabad: The state govt has decided to utilise function halls and rythu bazaars for the storage and movement of paddy wherever necessary, with district collectors being instructed to hire tractors and other vehicles in case of shortage of lorries to transport paddy and maize procured from the farmers.Chief minister A Revanth Reddy, along with deputy chief minister Bhatti Vikramarka and civil supplies minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, held a video conference with district collectors on Tuesday and reviewed the availability of warehouses, formulation of plans to transport paddy to the permanent warehouses, availability of gunny bags and hamalis, and enhancement of charges for intermediary godowns and hamalis.The CM warned that action would be initiated against contractors who fail to provide vehicles, especially lorries, for transportation as per the agreement. The authorities concerned were instructed to initiate criminal proceedings, if necessary, against contractors who fail to fulfil the agreements.In case of shortage of lorries, the CM instructed officials to hire tractors and other vehicles and to use function halls and rythu bazaars for storage before transporting the produce to warehouses. The transport commissioner was directed to o ensure the availability of vehicles. “Any negligence during procurement will not be tolerated. Collectors should address the difficulties faced by the farmers by conducting field visits to inspect the arrangements,” Revanth said.The CM directed the collectors to expedite and complete paddy and maize procurement in mission mode. An officer will be assigned to each Indira Kranthi Patham (IKP) centre. An officer will also be appointed at every rice mill to oversee operations, including hiring hamalis to speed up the loading of procured food grains.The CM stressed that the collectors should recognise the gravity of the situation and take appropriate measures. Every official should discharge their duties with accountability and transparency. The govt would not hesitate to take action against collectors if they neglect their responsibility in the challenging times.Collectors of districts with high maize production were instructed to ensure that farmers do not face any difficulties during procurement, seek police assistance if necessary, and submit regular reports to the chief secretary on paddy and maize procurement.Ministers Uttam Kumar Reddy and Tummala Nageswara Rao instructed collectors to ensure that farmers from neighbouring states are stopped at the borders from transporting their produce to procurement centres in Telangana, and to complete the procurement process by the end of May.The CM enquired about unseasonal rains and their impact on procurement, and collectors were instructed to prepare plans to minimise farmers’ losses due to rains. Top priority will be given to supplying tarpaulins to farmers. A designated officer will be appointed at the mandal level to alert farmers about weather forecasts, and a dedicated system will also be set up to disseminate weather-related information to the farmers.
