Chandigarh, Oct. 22 -- Haryana's paddy procurement machinery is running at full throttle, with the state government purchasing 24.93 lakh metric tonnes of paddy from beleaguered farmers and pumping Rs 3,447 crore in minimum support price payments directly into their accounts, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Rajesh Nagar announced on Wednesday.
The numbers tell a story of administrative muscle outpacing the harvest. By October 21, total paddy arrivals in the state's mandis had touched 30.26 lakh metric tonnes, a staggering 52 per cent of the Government of India's annual target of 58 lakh metric tonnes for Haryana. Of this, government procurement agencies have swallowed 82 per cent, leaving little room for private traders ...