VIJAYAWADA: In a significant relief to farmers awaiting payments for their paddy sales to the State government, Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar announced the release of ₹674 crore to settle the outstanding dues on Monday. During his visit to Eluru and Amalapuram, Manohar was warmly received by farmers, who expressed their gratitude for addressing the long-pending payments.
Of the total amount released, ₹472 crore was allocated to farmers from the undivided West Godavari district, who were owed the majority of the pending funds. Manohar noted that when the current coalition government took office, it inherited a substantial debt of ₹40,550 crore across various sectors, with paddy procurement dues alone reaching ₹1,674 crore. He highlighted that the TDP-led NDA government had previously released ₹1,000 crore and that the remaining ₹674 crore was settled on Monday.
The Minister also assured that, starting from the next Kharif season, payments for paddy procurement would be made within 48 hours of procurement. He acknowledged the challenges faced under the previous government, including difficulties with banking responses, but emphasized that their efforts had successfully resolved the issue.