PADDY PROCUREMENT BY FCI IN ORISSA
The Government of
India through the Food Corporation of India (FCI), for the first
time has opened 20 procurement centres in the paddy growing areas
of the State from the commencement of the procurement season on
1st November, 2002 itself. The FCI had specially deputed
officers from outside the State to man the centres. In the past
the FCI had purchased only levy rice from the millers. Due to
drought conditions in the state this year the Kharif crop was
poor and the grain was of poor quality and inspite of the best
efforts of the FCI, paddy of the requisite quality was not available
for purchase. The FCI has been monitoring the situation throughout
the season and there have been no complaints from farmers with
regard to the distress sale of paddy.
The High Court of
Orissa in its judgement dated 25th April, 2002 had
directed the State of Orissa, its Civil Supplies Department, the
Union of India, the Food Corporation of India and its officials
to procure paddy from the farmers in Bolangir district at the
Minimum Support prices as fixed by the central government. The
objective of the judgement was to ensure that there was no distress
sale and that the millers should not be the sole procurers in
the State.
The FCI took immediate
steps to commence procurement operations in the State and established
procurement centres in the State. The State Government, however,
filed an SLP in the Supreme Court stating that they were not in
a position to take up any procurement activity. The Government
has been urging the State Government to fulfill its role in protecting
the interest of farmers by taking up procurement operations under
the Decentralised Procurement Scheme as has been done in other
States. The State Government has not taken any action in the matter.
To ensure procurement
of paddy in the current Rabi crop, on a request of the State Government
the government has relaxed the specifications of paddy to mitigate
the hardship of farmers in the State. Now the paddy can be procured
containing damaged the discoloured grain upto 5% and immature,
shrunken and shrivelled grain upto 5% against the previous limit
of 3%. All the paddy purchase centres are fully geared to procure
paddy from the farmers in the Rabi Season and so far 513 quintals
have been procured.
