State sets target of procuring 49L MT paddy this year

kolkata: The state Food and Supplies department is taking all possible measures for smooth procurement of paddy and reaching out to the farmers in the remotest area, this season. The state government has set a target for procuring 49 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of paddy this year with the process starting from November 1.

"We had made a record procurement of 46 lakh MT paddy in 2019-20 season and also created a record by purchasing crop from over 15 lakh farmers. This year, we have increased our target and for this we are setting up 150 additional CPCs (Centrallised Procurement centres) and DPCs (Decentralised Procurement Centre)," a senior official of the department said.

The total number of CPCs and DPCs, which was 400 this year, will go up to 550 in the coming season. About 25 lakh MT of kharif paddy and 8 lakh MT of Rabi paddy will be procured through the state and central pools while the remaining 16 lakh MT will be procured by the different CMR agencies like WBECSC, Benfed, Confed to name a few.

"This is for the first time when the CMR agencies will be allowed to open CPCs in suitable locations in concurrence with the department. The Co Operative Societies/ Self Help Groups/ Farmers Producers Organisation may also open purchase centres on behalf of CMR agencies," the official said.

The farmers, who have already registered, do not need to do so again. New farmers may register at the CPCs, Office of the Inspectors of the department as well as Bangla Sahayata Kendras (BSKs) located in different blocks across the state.

"For the interest of procurement from small and marginal farmers, one farmer, one registration and one bank account policy will be adopted. The payment will be made directly through NEFT to the bank account of the individual farmers within three days from the purchase," the official added.