The Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies in Bihar have plunged headlong into procuring paddy from the farmers. Announcing this in Phulwarisharif near Patna, the Food and Civil Supplies Minister Shyam Rajak said that PACS are ready to help the farmers.
There are about 6500 PACS spread in 543 blocks of the state. For the first time these have been connected to Vyapar Mandal , said the Minister Mr Rajak.
PACS is targeting to procure a whopping 3 million metric tonnes of paddy. The government has decided to buy paddy at the rate of Rs 1360 per quintal with an additional bonus of Rs 300 per quintal.
The state government has also prepared a data base of farmers in each block so that they do not face difficulties in depositing their grains at the Centre, Mr Rajak claimed. He however lamented the shortage of godowns in the state. We have limited space and even the state FCI is caught in space crunch, he said.
It has been noted earlier that the efforts of the govt is defeated by its staff who delay the procurement forcing farmers to sell the paddy in the open market to middlemen at a much lower rate. It is being alleged that the govt staff are hand in glove with the middlemen to fleece the poor farmers. Hope the Minister takes note and disciplines such errant officials.
