Inter-Ministerial Committee Reviews Kharif Paddy Procurement, Emphasises Farmer-Friendly Measures

Bhubaneswar: The Inter-Ministerial Committee, chaired by the Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment and Energy, today reviewed the progress of Kharif 2025–26 paddy procurement at Lokseva Bhavan and underscored the need for a farmer-centric and transparent procurement process.

During the review meeting, the Deputy Chief Minister directed officials to extend full cooperation to farmers and ensure that their grievances are addressed promptly. Stressing the importance of field-level oversight, he instructed departmental officers associated with paddy procurement to visit mandis regularly and closely monitor on-ground arrangements.

Paddy procurement for the ongoing Kharif 2025–26 season has commenced in 11 districts of the state, including Bargarh, Balangir, Boudh, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Nuapada, Sambalpur, Subarnapur and Sundargarh. To strengthen transparency and accountability, CCTV cameras have been installed in all mandis across the state, with the entire procurement process being monitored round-the-clock through a 24-hour control room.

Keeping farmers’ convenience in focus, the State Government has strengthened a higher number of mandis this year compared to previous seasons. Model mandis have also been developed in accordance with standards prescribed by the Central Government to ensure better facilities and smoother procurement operations.

As per official data, a total of 4,39,294 metric tonnes of paddy has been procured so far from 97,972 farmers through various mandis across the state. Bargarh district has recorded the highest procurement, with 36,356 farmers selling 1,63,288 metric tonnes of paddy. Additionally, tokens have been issued to 9,41,433 farmers statewide to facilitate orderly procurement. Paddy collection is scheduled to begin in the remaining districts in a phased manner.

To ensure transparency and timely payment, the e-KYC facility is being adopted during farmer registration, and procurement payments are being directly transferred to Aadhaar-linked bank accounts. The department has also implemented live tracking of vehicles transporting paddy from mandis to mills through the Vehicle Tracking System (VTS) application.

The meeting was attended by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister Rabi Narayan Naik, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra, Cooperation Minister Pradeep Bal Samanta, Principal Secretary Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, and Sanjay Kumar Singh. Senior officers from the departments of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare, Cooperation, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water, among others, were also present and shared their views on strengthening the procurement process.