Although the Congress government has claimed that paddy procurement arrangements are in place, conditions on the ground reveal a different picture. The procurement centers are lacking basic facilities.
The Hyderabad Agricultural Cooperative Association (HACA) limited issued tenders on the 22nd of this month for around 90,000 tarpaulins, while Agros had invited tenders on the 10th for various necessities such as paddy cleaners, weighing scales, moisture meters, and calipers for measuring fine grains.
These tender processes will likely conclude in November, yet the Civil Supplies Corporation only released a tender on the 5th of this month for essential gunny sacks, totaling 7 crore old gunny bags. This process, too, remains incomplete and is expected to conclude next month. As questions circulate about when these goods will arrive at procurement centers, it is unclear if they’ll even be in place by the time the season’s purchases are underway.
Officials anticipate the need to procure around 80 lakh tonnes of grain this season, which will require approximately 22 crore gunny bags. Out of this, 7 crore old gunny bags are necessary, with the remaining bags to be newly sourced.
However, despite recent tenders for old gunny bags, it’s unlikely they will be available by the end of next month. While some new bags have been acquired, officials remain concerned about the potential shortage of gunny bags when procurement operations ramp up next week.
There appears to be a disconnect between government assurances and on-the-ground reality. Although officials and ministers claim all arrangements are ready, field conditions tell a different story. Key procurement policies remain unannounced, reflecting what many perceive as governmental negligence.
Furthermore, no agreements have yet been established with millers to transport purchased grain, and the scarcity of equipment, bags, and tarpaulins remains evident. Critics argue that the government’s announcements are premature, given that only 2,539 procurement centers have been opened out of the proposed 7,248.
While the government intended to commence grain purchases from October 1, only 1,500 tons have been procured in the past 20 days, underscoring the gap between announcements and action.