Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said that nearly 45 lakh metric tonnes of paddy was procured and 20% remains to be procured. Acknowledging farmers faced issues, the Chief Minister said on Thursday that issues with hamalis (workers) led to some gaps in the procurement process. The workers, majority of them from West Bengal, went to their native places due to elections there, which led to the gaps, he said.  

The workers are needed at Paddy Procurement Centres (PCC) to fill jute bags with paddy, weigh them and load them onto heavy vehicles heading to rice mills. 

Addressing a press conference held at the State Secretariat in Hyderabad on Thursday, the Chief Minister said that amounts to farmers’ accounts are deposited by the State Civil Supplies Department in 72 hours, unlike up to six months earlier. The department on Wednesday said that ₹7,308 crore was deposited directly, benefiting 6.3 lakh farmers. 

Meanwhile, farmers in few parts of Nalgonda and Yadadri Bhuvanagiri said that they are still waiting for their farm produce to be sold at rice mills. The farmers at Indira Kranthi Patham (IKP) in Aneparthy, Nalgonda, said that procurement gained pace — the farm produce of 55 farmers were cleared from 13 last week. However, paddy harvested by 75 more farmers is yet to be lifted from the centre in the village. A farmer, K. Ramachandraiah, said that it has been nearly 45 days that he has been waiting for the produce at IKP in Aneparthy to be procured. A farmer in Panagal too said that they have been waiting for their harvest to be procured.

A farmer, Yadamma, in Devalamma Nagaram in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri, too said that she is still waiting for the farm produce to be sold. 

State vice president of Telangana Rythu Sangham, M. Sudhakar Reddy, said that though the pace of procurement has increased, the issue of farmers losing extra kilos of paddy for every bag has not stopped. He alleged that farmers are losing an extra 1.3 kgs per bag at IKPs. Rather than 40.7 kgs per bag, 42 kgs is being accepted. “Besides, another three to four kgs per bag extra is claimed citing chaff, wastage and other reasons at rice mills in Nalgonda and Suryapet,” he alleged.

Donthu Rambabu, State joint secretary, Telangana Rythu Sangam, said that additional five to 10 kgs per bag is being taken at IKPs and rice mills together in Wanaparthy, Nagarkurnool, Nizamabad and Bhadradri Kotahgudem.