Bhubaneswar, March 8: Paddy procurement in Odisha has reached 70 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) during the ongoing Kharif season, benefiting approximately 15.65 lakh farmers. As a result, a total of Rs 15,613 crore has been credited to the farmers' accounts as Minimum Support Price (MSP) payments, while Rs 5,430 crore has been disbursed as Input Assistance, Food Supplies, and Consumer Welfare, Minister Krushna Chandra Patra informed.
Minister Patra reviewed various departmental activities and programs during a meeting at Lokseva Bhawan on Saturday.
In the meeting, Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh provided updates on the department's ongoing initiatives. As of now, the state has procured 70 LMT of paddy from around 15.65 lakh farmers, with financial support of Rs 15,613 crore in MSP and Rs 5,430 crore for Input Assistance. The discussions also focused on optimizing the paddy procurement process for the upcoming Rabi season, which will take place from May 1 to June 30. Farmer registrations for Rabi procurement will begin later this month, Singh stated. Additionally, officials discussed how to supply the remaining rice produced from the procured paddy to the Food Corporation of India.
Minister Patra also directed officials to expedite the e-KYC process in the state. Currently, e-KYC has been completed for about 92% of beneficiaries, and efforts are ongoing to connect areas with weak internet service through Fair Price Shops (FPSs). The state is also working to gather information about the 30.84 lakh beneficiaries who have not yet been included in the e-KYC process.
In another initiative, 30 selected FPSs will be transformed into Jan-Poshan Kendras on a pilot basis to provide nutritious products like millets in addition to Public Distribution System (PDS) supplies and other essential items. A team will visit Jan-Poshan Kendras in other states to learn from their operational models.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh, Managing Director of Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation Shubham Saxena, and other senior officials.
