S Dinajpur: Paddy procurement via direct purchase centres starts

BALURGHAT: Paddy procurement through Direct Purchase Centre (DPC) started for the first time in South Dinajpur on Wednesday, District Controller of Food and Supplies department of South Dinajpur Jayanta Kumar Roy told Millennium Post.

"We have introduced the newly launched system for the first time in South Dinajpur on Wednesday in Gangarampur subdivision's Nandanpur. The farmers can register their names after coming to DPC to sell the paddy directly to us. Three such DPCs are already functional in the district. Of them, one is in Gangarampur's Nandanpur and the rest of the two are in Harirampur block," Roy said.

According to Roy, the concerned district Food and Supplies department will organise the camps through DPCs to purchase the paddy from the farmers. "There will be no wastage of time if the farmers come directly to the DPCs to sell their crops. On Wednesday, we procured paddy from 50 farmers. We will open seven more DPCs in the district shortly in order to conduct the paddy procurement process smoothly," he said.

Roy said there are only 28 such DPCs that are functional throughout the state.

"It is our target to set up the DPCs in the remote areas of the district. We are seeking cooperation and logistic support from the local Block Development Office and Panchayat. We have targeted to procure 1,500 metric-ton paddy in a day from the farmers. The paddy procurement process will be continued till the end of June. The state has set a target to procure 80,000 metric-ton paddy from the district," he said.

Roy said the concerned department has already procured 30,000 metric-ton paddy so far in South Dinajpur.

"Usually the local Self Help Groups (SHGs) organise the camps to purchase paddy from the farmers. This year as per instruction of the state, we have taken a decision to procure paddy directly from the farmers through the DPCs," Roy said.