Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi today directed cooperative department officials to make arrangements for procurement of paddy from the farmers during Kharif season.
Presiding over a review meeting of the cooperative department under his charge, he asked the officials to activate the Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACs) to identify the main paddy producing districts and carry out survey of the area of paddy in order to make an assessment about the quantum of production of the said crop during the Kharif season.
Modi said that the PACs should set up a data base of the paddy crop being cultivated by the individual farmers and allot them an identification number so that they could be contacted directly for procurement of paddy.
The Deputy Chief Minister directed the PACs to make an assessment of the expenditure to be incurred by it for procurement of paddy during this season so that adequate funds
be made available to it through the cooperative banks.
Modi directed the officials to ensure payment to the farmers through account payee cheques for paddy procurement.