State to urge Centre to relax paddy procurement norm

OST Bureau

Brahmapur, Nov 24:

The state government will urge the Centre to relax the paddy procurement norms and accept discoloured paddy from the districts affected by cyclone Phailin and subsequent floods.

The government will soon be writing to the Centre in this regard, said state Food Supplies and consumer Welfare minister Pratap Keshari Deb here today.

The minister who was here to attend the district collectors’ conference on paddy procurement for the kharif market season said the collectors have been asked to submit reports on the quantum of the yield of damaged and discoloured paddy. The government will write to the Centre urging for relaxation in paddy procurement norms after the reports are received.

Deb said the volume of damaged and discoloured paddy will be very high because nearly 40 percent area of the state was ravaged by cyclone and floods, even though the exact quantity will be  known only after crop cutting is over.

He said the government has not fixed any paddy procurement target or procurement time for the southern districts as these have been the worst-hit.