Transparency: State to provide e-pos machines for paddy procurement

Kolkata: To ensure transparency, the Food and Supplies department will be providing e-pos machines at all its purchase centres at the time of paddy procurement which starts from November 2, 2024.

“The e-pos machines will ensure only genuine farmers sell their paddy at the centres.

The verification of majority farmers has been done through authentication of Aadhar, mobile, Krishak Bandhu portal registration and bank account. Ones whose verification is still pending can do the same at the purchase centres,” a department official said.

The department will also undertake GPS tracking of the vehicles on their way from CPCs (centralised procurement centres) to the rice mill and the sequence of entry of paddy into the mills will be videographed.

There will be facilities for advance slot booking through the Food department portal for smooth paddy sale.

Procurement will also be done through camps run by Self-Help-Groups, farmer producer companies (FPO), primary agricultural credit societies (PACS) etc.

A farmer can sell a maximum of 90 metric tonnes of paddy depending upon the quantum of land owned by him.

The Minimum Support Price (MSP) was enhanced from Rs 2,183 to Rs 2,300 per quintal to safeguard the interest of small and marginal farmers. The department will also provide an incentive of Rs 20 per quintal over and above the MSP to the farmers who will be selling his paddy in CPCs, mobile CPCs and DPCs. Hence, the farmer selling paddy will receive Rs 2,320 per quintal.

Arrangements have been made for 650 CPCs across the state and another 170 mobile CPCs.

The department’s procurement target is 70 lakh metric tonnes, same as that of previous year. The department procured around 55 lakh metric tonne this year with the procurement coming to an end in early September.