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Representative Image | Photo: Binoj PP/ Mathrubhumi
Palakkad: Paddy cultivators in the state are upset over the delay in receiving the payment of paddy procured by Supplyco. The payment for procuring the first crop of the season was held up for nearly two months in Palakkad. Over 14,500 farmers have not received the remuneration yet.
The paddy procurement programme was launched to counter the exploitation of the private sector enterprises and protect the farmers and has become a huge financial burden for Supplyco. According to the estimates, upto January 14, 2022, Supplyco has to dispense Rs 222.42 crore to the farmers in various districts. The corporation has been procuring paddy for Rs 28.20 per kilogram from the farmers.
Though the latest procurement amounted to Rs 543.23 crore, Supplyco could dispense only Rs 320.81 crore till date.
The officials of the paddy procurement wing of Supplyco claimed that the amounts for all the farmers who obtained payment order till December 9 have been settled by the corporation. However, many farmers alleged that the arrears of the bills for which the procedures were completed by November 20 are also pending.
Supplyco stalled the payment procedures when the funds provided by the Kerala Bank were exhausted. The corporation can continue the payment of arrears only when the state government and Centre grant money reserved for paddy procurement. In this category, the Centre and the state government have to dispense Rs 220 crore and Rs 750 crore to Supplyco, respectively.
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