Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi chaired a high-level meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan today to review the ongoing paddy procurement process in the state.
The meeting, attended by cabinet ministers and senior officials, focused on ensuring smooth operations, complete transparency, and protection of farmers’ interests.
Currently, paddy procurement is active in 12 districts, with tokens distributed in 17 districts. The Chief Minister was informed that procurement will begin in an additional five districts within the next week, and the process will cover all districts by January 10, 2026.
As of now, 1,11,128 farmers have sold 4,97,594 metric tonnes (MT) of paddy, for which approximately ₹1056.08 crore has been disbursed. CM Majhi directed officials to maintain absolute transparency in the procurement process, ensuring no compromise on farmers’ rights. He emphasised strict monitoring to guarantee that millers collect paddy properly from farmers and that payments are made on time.
“The procurement must be fully transparent, and under no circumstances should farmers face any inconvenience or loss,” Majhi instructed the officials.
The meeting also highlighted the need to promote non-paddy crops, particularly millets (mandia), pulses, and oilseeds, to encourage crop diversification.
Present at the meeting were Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Deputy Chief Minister Prabhati Parida, other cabinet ministers, and state ministers. Key officials included Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, Development Commissioner Anu Garg, Principal Secretary to CM Shashwat Mishra, Principal Secretary (Food Supplies) Sanjay Singh, and Principal Secretary (Agriculture) Arvind Padhee, among others.
The review underscores the state government’s commitment to farmer empowerment and efficient agricultural procurement during the Kharif season.
