Hyderabad

Paddy procurement through Indira Kranthi Patham (IKP) centres in Telangana has gathered pace during the ongoing Yasangi (Rabi) season, with official figures indicating substantial arrivals and movement of stocks.

According to official sources, about 11 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of paddy have reached 3,563 procurement centres set up across the State under the supervision of the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA). Of this, nearly 7 lakh metric tonnes have been procured and transported to rice mills.

The government has expanded the procurement network beyond its target of establishing 3,400 IKP centres annually, with an additional 100 centres already operational. Officials said that more centres would be opened depending on the scale of paddy arrivals in different districts.

Women’s Self-Help Groups (SHG) are playing a significant role in managing procurement operations, with nearly 40% of the centres being run by them. They are involved in key activities such as weighing paddy, maintaining records, transporting stocks to mills and updating transaction details online. Officials said their participation has helped streamline operations and handle higher volumes efficiently.

The State government, under the aegis of the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) and district authorities, is overseeing procurement across thousands of centres to ensure timely lifting of stocks and to avoid inconvenience to farmers.

Reviewing the progress, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Seethakka issued directions to expedite procurement and minimise delays at purchase centres.

The Minister also stressed the need to speed up key processes. “The weighing, transportation and online registration of paddy should be carried out without delay,” she said, calling for closer coordination among officials at all IKP centres.