7.5 lakh metric tonne of paddy procured till Feb 24: Jyotipriyo

The state government has procured 7.52 lakh metric tonne of paddy till February 24, Jyotipriyo Mallick, state Food and Supplies minister said in the Assembly on Monday.

Mullick said the government had procured 38.59 lakh metric tonne of paddy in Kharif marketing season (KMS) of 2015-16.

Altogether, 328 centralised procurement centres have been set up in the state.

He said the state government would meet the procurement target ahead of its schedule, adding that 18 lakh farming families were benefitted in the last KMS. In 2017 so far, he said 3.2 lakh farmer have sold paddy.

Mallick said the Food and Supplies department, along with Health and Family Welfare department, jointly run a programme to combat malnutrition.

4,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM), identified by the Health department, are unit wise (mother and SAM child) being provided 5 kg rice, 2 kg wheat, 1 kg masur dal and 1kg Bengal gram per month free of cost for six months. Introduced in October 2014, the project has been very effective.

The minister added the state government had budgeted Rs 5,020 crore to implement Khadya sathi programme.

It may be mentioned that January 27 was declared as Khadya Sathi Divas by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Mullick said the department had set up model fair price shops (FPS), run by self help groups in six closed tea gardens in the first phase.

In 2016-17, a project to construct 126 FPS in 86 tea gardens has been taken up to ensure availability of food grains to the beneficiaries.

He added that the department has been carrying out massive campaigns to make people aware of their entitlement in various food security programmes.