Odisha Govt Tightens Oversight on Kharif Paddy Procurement with Ministers Assigned as District Observers

Bhubaneswar: In a move aimed at ensuring transparency and addressing farmers’ concerns during the Kharif paddy procurement season, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has directed that each Minister will be assigned to oversee one or two districts as observers. This initiative was announced during a high-level review meeting held at Lok Seva Bhavan on Tuesday.

The Chief Minister stressed that direct engagement between Ministers and farmers at procurement centers (mandis) will help foster trust and demonstrate the government’s commitment to addressing agricultural concerns. “When Ministers visit districts and listen to farmers, it shows the sincerity of the government and reassures them of our commitment,” Majhi said.

To streamline the procurement process, Majhi instructed District Collectors to coordinate closely with various departments to prevent irregularities, corruption, and favoritism. He also highlighted that an additional ₹800 per quintal is being paid above the minimum support price (MSP) this season, which has sparked enthusiasm among farmers across the state.

Majhi underscored the importance of prioritizing small-scale farmers, who constitute 83.16% of the registered farmer base. He called on District Collectors to ensure these farmers have no difficulties in selling their paddy. Recognizing that many small farmers are unaware of token validity, he instructed officials to extend token durations where necessary and to keep farmers informed through timely communication.

The Chief Minister also proposed a large-scale awareness campaign to prevent price deductions based on grain quality, known as ‘katni-chhatni.’ He urged farmers to bring only FAQ (Fair Average Quality) paddy to mandis and suggested creating WhatsApp groups for farmers to receive real-time updates on procurement and quality standards.

Majhi also announced new measures to ensure transparency in FAQ quality testing. District Collectors will hold mandi management officers accountable for accurate paddy quality assessments. A dedicated officer will now be assigned to each mandi, while supervisors will manage clusters of four to five mandis. Additionally, procurement activities will be monitored via a central dashboard, with support from the Quality Council of India.

Addressing concerns about increased paddy imports from neighboring states due to Odisha’s recent price increase, Majhi directed District Collectors to deploy Enforcement Squads at state borders. Highways connecting neighboring states will be monitored 24/7 using CCTV and smart cameras to prevent illicit imports.

In terms of technology integration, 200 large mandis will be equipped with Automatic Grain Analyzers, while smaller mandis will use Manual Grain Analyzers. Quality Analysts and Supervisors will be deployed at each procurement center to inspect and certify paddy quality.

The meeting was attended by key officials, including Deputy Chief Ministers Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, as well as several senior Ministers such as Suresh Pujari (Revenue and Disaster Management), Krushna Chandra Patra (Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare), and Prithviraj Harichandan (Law, Excise, and Works). Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, Director General of Police Y.B. Khurania, and Principal Secretaries of Agriculture, Cooperation, and other departments also participated.