NCP delegation meets Gondia officials, seeks start to paddy procurement process

A delegation of the Nationalist Congress Party on Friday met officials in Maharashtra's Gondia district seeking an immediate start to the process of paddy procurement.

The delegation under former MLA Rajendra Jain met District Marketing Officer Manoj Bajpayee and warned of an agitation if procurement centres don't start functioning immediately.

''More than 2.30 lakh farmers in the district are engaged in cultivation on an area of 1.90 lakh hectares. Already, they are in distress due to heavy rains. Delay in paddy procurement is forcing them to sell the produce to traders in the open market at less price,'' Jain claimed.

DMO Bajpayee said 110 procurement centres have been set up in Gondia and the process of paddy procurement would begin soon.