Bhubaneswar: The Centre has agreed to procure an additional 6 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of rice from Odisha, providing relief to the state government as storage facilities remain packed with surplus stocks, Food Supplies Minister Krushna Chandra Patra said on Thursday.
The minister said Odisha currently has a surplus of about 7 lakh MT of rice, and the state had been consistently urging the Union government to lift the excess stock. Of the additional quantity approved, 5 lakh MT will be boiled rice, which is expected to be procured by April this year.
“The Government of India has agreed to procure 6 lakh MT of rice from Odisha. The remaining 1 lakh MT of surplus rice will be disposed of through auction,” Patra told reporters.
Officials said the Centre normally procures around 50 lakh MT of rice annually from Odisha under the central pool.
Providing an update on the ongoing kharif paddy procurement, Patra said the process is currently underway in 18 out of 30 districts across the state. So far, the government has procured 10.50 lakh MT of paddy from nearly 2.30 lakh farmers.
He said the state government has already disbursed ₹2,350 crore towards minimum support price (MSP) and input assistance for the paddy procured during the current season.
The minister added that paddy procurement will continue until March, and assured that the government will purchase paddy from all registered farmers.
Patra also chaired a review meeting on Wednesday evening, during which he directed officials to speed up procurement operations while ensuring complete transparency. He instructed officers to take strict action on any allegations of irregularities in the procurement process.
