Hyderabad,  Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday said that the government will procure paddy from farmers during the ongoing monsoon season as was done last year.

 

He directed the Civil Supplies Department officials to procure paddy through 6,545 purchase centres formed last year. At a review meeting on the issue, he said farmers should not feel worried or anxious about the paddy procurement in the state.

He suggested to farmers to clean their paddy, ensure that it had no moisture, and bring dry paddy to the procurement centres. He said the government was taking all measures to procure the paddy as per the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister decided hold an extended meeting with the district Collectors and senior officials of the Forest Department on October 23 on the Podu lands issue and Haritha Haaram programme.

According to Chief Minister's Office (CMO), the day-long meeting would discuss the problems faced by the tribals, Adivasis who are doing the shifting cultivation (Podu). It will discuss measures to solve the problems sympathetically and also measures to be taken to protect and preserve the forests.

The meeting would formulate a comprehensive action plan on these issues.

While assessing the results so far obtained by the Haritha Haaram programme, the meeting would also discuss the future action plan.

Before the meeting, a team of three top officials will study and examine the Podu lands issue at the field level in the forest areas. The official team will visit the forest by a helicopter from October 20 to 22.

The team will comprise Special Chief Secretary Shanti Kumar, Tribal Welfare Secretary Christina Z. Chongtu and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Shobha.

The proposed meeting on Podu land issue will be attended by Forest Minister A. Indrakaran Reddy, Tribal Welfare Minister Satyavathi Rathod, Panchayat Raj Minister E. Dayakar Rao, Secretaries of the departments concerned, heads of the departments, all district Collectors, district Conservators of Forest, Divisional Forest Officers, ITDA Project Officers and others.