Hyderabad, September 5: Telangana Civil Supplies Minister Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has directed officials to make foolproof arrangements for the upcoming Kharif paddy procurement season, with the State planning to procure 65 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of paddy worth around ₹18,250 crore.

The Minister said 8,283 Paddy Purchase Centres would be opened across Telangana by October 1, ahead of procurement beginning on October 15. The centres include 3,180 IKP, 4,372 PACS and 731 other centres.

The government will procure Grade-A paddy at an MSP of ₹2,461 per quintal and common paddy at ₹2,441. An additional ₹500 per quintal bonus will be provided for seven preferred varieties, including BPT-5204, RNR-15048, KNM-1638 and HMT-Sona.

Uttam Kumar Reddy stressed the need for proper arrangements for storage, transport, gunny bags, weighing and timely payments. He also called for developing an export market for Telangana rice to ensure better prices for farmers and reduce financial pressure on the government.

The Minister directed officials to prevent the unauthorised entry of paddy from neighbouring States by strengthening border check-posts and using GPS-based vehicle tracking. He said the entire procurement system must focus on protecting farmers and ensuring timely payments without inconvenience.