Beyond what Sitharaman said about the procurement process in 2021-22, there are several dimensions to this
The paddy marketing season normally begins from October and runs through September
A quantity of 290.98 lakh tonnes of paddy has been procured in KMS 2021-22 till November 30
There was no categorical assurance from the Centre on the quantity of paddy that it would procure from Telangana this season
Land records being integrated into a central database
As many as 20 states, including Punjab and Haryana, have captured and integrated key parameters for cross checking during paddy procurement in the ongoing kharif marketing season
Due to delay in monsoon, Central Govt had postponed start of procurement of paddy and millet, says Haryana CM
Centre says delay necessary as moisture content high due to excess Sep rains
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has sought the intervention of the Prime Minister to withdraw the Central government's order to start the paddy procurement from October 11.
The procurement of pulses and oilseeds has also increased
The government has so far procured nearly 890 lakh tonnes of paddy, an all-time high, at MSP in the current marketing year ending September for around Rs 1.68 lakh crore.
The previous record in wheat procurement was 38.99 mt achieved in the 2020-21 season
As the Odisha Assembly failed to transact any business and witnessed ruckus over "mismanagement" in paddy procurement and suicide bid by a BJP MLA in the House
Kumar has supported the centre's three new farm laws having similar contents
Paddy procurement at MSP has risen by 18% so far this kharif marketing season to 61.4 mn tonnes, amid farmers protest at Delhi-borders against three new agri marketing reform laws
The government's paddy procurement has increased by 19 per cent so far this kharif marketing season
Punjab, once India's richest state, has slipped and fallen behind. It needs to get off the paddy-wheat-MSP high and rediscover its entrepreneurial impulse
The Centre has procured 52 mn tonnes of paddy so far during this kharif marketing season from nearly 6.8 mn farmers at MSP costing Rs 98,457 crore
Out of the total purchase of 487.92 lakh tonnes, Punjab has contributed 202.77 lakh tonnes, which is 41.55 per cent of the total procurement
Phase-1 completed on time; phase-II had to be halted for nearly two months, and the pace of work remained sub-optimal during subsequent lockdown periods as well