Ambika Sharma
Tribune News Service
Solan, November 20
Paddy procurement by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has increased at nine centres in Una, Kangra, Solan and Sirmaur districts. A total of 1,938 metric tonne (MT) of paddy was procured and Rs 35.06 crore was released to the farmers till this evening.
Director, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, KC Chaman said that a reminder had been sent to the Central Government to extend the procurement period up to December 30, as a large number of farmers have registered on the portal.
The data secured from the FCI reveals that Rs 16.25 crore was paid to 1,423 farmers till this evening while 97 farmers were awaiting payment at three centres at Paonta Sahib in Sirmaur district. In Solan district, 781 farmers were paid Rs 6.76 crore while payments to 66 farmers were pending.
SDM, Paonta Sahib, Vivek Mahajan said that 86,856.9 quintals of paddy was procured from 1,495 farmers till this evening. Three centres were set up at Paonta Sahib, Kala Amb and Johron Pipliwala, where 3,552 quintals of paddy was procured today while 83,305.075 quintals were procured till yesterday.
As many as 1,495 farmers have sold their produce to the FCI in Paonta Sahib at the rate of Rs 1,960 per quintal. The maximum paddy (7,779.95 quintals) was procured at the Johro Pipliwala centre till this evening. This was the last centre to be opened in Paonta Sahib subdivision on November 10.
As much as 63,178.45 quintals have been procured at the Paonta Sahib centre from 1,059 farmers, and 15,898.5 quintals from 313 farmers at the Kala Amb centre till now.
Paddy procurement in Nalagarh subdivision in Solan district has also picked up pace. As much as 36,046.02 quintals of paddy was procured from 1,632 farmers till this evening— 2,1750.65 quintals from 465 farmers at the Nalagarh centre and 14,295.37 quintals from 351 farmers at the Malpur centre, said Nalagarh SDM Mahendra Pal.
Initially, crop of 25 farmers lifted per day
- The FCI started lifting paddy in the state on October 15.
- This is the first such procurement process being undertaken in the state as farmers earlier sold their produce in the nearby mandis of Punjab and Haryana.
- Initially, paddy was procured from 25 farmers per day, but the number was later increased to 55 as farmers opposed the tardy pace of procurement.
