Bhubaneswar: In a bid to boost transparency in paddy procurement, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra invoked Ajay Devgn’s powerful dialogue from Bollywood movie Singham.
Addressing supply assistants, Patra said, “Just as police can ensure no wrongdoing occurs in front of a temple, you too can prevent corruption in paddy procurement centres.” He urged them to take inspiration from the movie and ensure a corruption-free process.
He told the supply assistants, “Agar police chahe to koi mandir ke samne se chapel bhi nehin le sakta. Similarly, agar aap chahenge to mandi main ek bhi bhrastchari bach nahin payega. That means if the police want not a sandal can be stolen in front of a temple, Similarly, if supply assistants want, they cannot entertain corruption in the paddy procurement centre.”
It is pertinent to note that a ministerial meeting was held today on paddy procurement for the current Kharif season. In the meeting, the government decided to commence the paddy procurement process from November 21. The state government will purchase paddy from farmers at Rs 3,100 per quintal. The minimum support price (MSP) for paddy is Rs 2,300 per quintal, and the state government will provide additional input assistance of Rs 800 per quintal, making the total procurement price ₹3,100 per quintal.
