CCTVs At All Mandis, GPS In All Paddy Carrying Vehicles Soon: Odisha Minister

Bhubaneswar, June 29: Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra on Saturday said his department is all set to streamline the paddy procurement system in the interest of farmers.

CCTVs will be installed at all Mandis (Paddy procurement centres) across the State to check corruption in two months, said the Minister.

He said GPS would be installed in all trucks engaged in paddy transportation so that information regarding the loading and unloading of crops would be known.

Corruption committed in paddy procurement during the last 24 years of the BJD government will never be allowed to recur. "The Global Positioning System (GPS) installed in transport vehicles will detect details about the transportation of paddy. It will provide information if the paddy is unloaded midway between Mandi and Miller. Corruption can be checked," said the Minister.

The Minister said he noticed problems in paddy procurement during his visit to different places in the Koraput, Malkangiri, and Rayagada districts in the past few days. He said he had directed departmental officers to settle the problems.

The Minister said his department would also see that rice is not recycled anywhere. Katni Chhatni (Cut in weight on the ground of quality) would be stopped altogether, said he.

Parddy will be procured from farmers in a hassle-free manner and payment will be made at the promised MSP within 48 hours, said the Minister.