Record target of 58 lakh MT fixed for samba procurement: Minister

TIRUCHY: A record target of 58 lakh MT samba paddy procurement has been fixed for the current year, said Food Minister R Sakkarapani in Thanjavur on Thursday.

Inspecting the ongoing construction of godown at Pillayarpatti in Thanjavur, Minister Sakkarapani said, during the previous kuruvai season, the procurement of 1.97 lakh MT has been made and this has been increased to 2.22 lakh MT in the current year. “A quantity of 8.54 lakh MT paddy has been procured during the rabbi season across the state,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Minister said that a record target of 58 lakh MT paddy has been fixed during the current samba season for which 3,500 DPCs have been planned to be opened across the state especially in Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai districts.

Stating that the open air godowns have been transferred to roofed ones with full protection, the Minister said as many as 20 places have been identified in Tiruchy, Sivaganga, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam and Madurai where fully secured godowns are being constructed to the tune of Rs 238 crore.

Godowns with a total capacity of 62,500 MT of which a godown with 50,000 MT at Pillayarpatti near Thanjavur, 7,500 MT capacity at Thittakudi and 6,000 MT at Sellampatti would be ready by January, he added.

“There are as many as 103 places across the state to store 7.95 lakh MT paddy. This apart the new godowns with the total storage capacity of 2.85 lakh MT paddy are under construction. With all these, a total storage capacity of 11 lakh MT paddy would be available across the state soon,” the Minister said.

Stating that the Centre has so far released a fund of Rs 5,120 crore to Tamil Nadu for sugarcane and paddy procured, the Food Minister said, a fund of Rs 6,813 crore is yet to be released by the Centre to the state government.