What’s inside:
This article discusses the recent meeting held by the Patna District Magistrate regarding paddy procurement for farmers.
Patna’s District Magistrate, Dr. Thyagarajan S.M., recently held an important meeting at the Collectorate. The focus was on reviewing the paddy procurement process under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the Kharif Marketing Season 2025-26. The DM emphasized the need to speed up the procurement work so that farmers can sell their paddy without any hassles.
During the meeting, it was noted that out of 208 selected PACS/Business Boards in Patna district, only 31 are currently active. So far, 5,524 farmers have registered online, including both ryots and non-ryots. The total paddy production in the district is about 6,84,341.30 metric tons, but only 179.825 metric tons have been purchased so far.
The District Magistrate has directed the District Cooperative Officer to quickly activate all eligible committees and warned that any negligence will lead to action against the concerned officers. He made it clear that farmers must be the priority and that buying paddy through middlemen is completely banned.
Farmers should expect timely payments, as the Pataliputra Central Cooperative Bank was told to ensure there are no delays. A grievance redressal cell will also be formed, along with a helpline for farmers. All sub-divisional officers have been instructed to monitor procurement activities and keep the committees active.
To ensure transparency and efficiency, the District Manager of the State Food Corporation was asked to speed up investigations of the mills and complete tagging work on time. All pending payments must be settled within 48 hours, and daily procurement reports will be submitted via a mobile app.
Summary:
- Patna DM held a meeting on paddy procurement.
- Only 31 out of 208 PACS are currently active.
- Farmers to be prioritized with no middlemen allowed.
- Timely payments and a grievance cell for farmers.
- Pending payments to be settled within 48 hours.
