States » EastPosted at: Nov 9 2026 11:39PM


Odisha cabinet approves Paddy Procurement Policy for Kharif 2026-27

Bhubaneswar, Nov 9 (UNI) In a major relief to farmers, the Odisha Cabinet on Monday approved a farmer-centric and technology-driven Food and Paddy Procurement Policy for the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2026-27.
The policy will ensure transparent procurement, timely payment of Minimum Support Price (MSP) and efficient management of the state's paddy procurement system and provide every eligible farmer with a fair opportunity to sell their marketable surplus paddy at the MSP, while ensuring prompt payment through a digital, transparent and accountable procurement mechanism.
The Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, has fixed a procurement target of 53 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of rice, equivalent to approximately 78 lakh metric tonnes of paddy. Under the state government's decision, farmers will receive a total of Rs 23,100 per quintal, including MSP and input assistance.
Briefing mediapersons after the Cabinet meeting, Chief Secretary Anu Garg said the policy was designed to ensure transparent procurement at MSP, timely payments to farmers, efficient milling and uninterrupted supply of rice under the Public Distribution System (PDS) and various welfare schemes.
Highlighting the key features of the policy, Garg said the integration of the Paddy Procurement Automation System (P-PAS), Aadhaar-based e-KYC, Bhulekh land records and the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) would strengthen transparency and accountability in the procurement process.
She said 100 per cent field verification and validation of paddy-growing areas through satellite imagery would be undertaken to cross-check registered land details with actual crop cultivation. Digital Crop Survey (DCS) data would provide an additional layer of verification.
The policy also provides for the registration and procurement of paddy from eligible sharecroppers (Bhaga Chasis) through a structured digital consent mechanism, supported by biometric or mobile-based authentication protocols involving landowners.
To ensure prompt payment, the MSP amount will be credited directly to farmers' Aadhaar-linked bank accounts through NPCI within 24 to 48 hours of paddy purchase.
Local procurement will be facilitated through Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS), Large Area Multi-Purpose Cooperative Societies (LAMPCS) and Pani Panchayats functioning as Paddy Procurement Centres (PPCs). Farmers will also receive advance SMS alerts in Odia regarding procurement dates and quantities.
Garg further said quality assurance and monitoring mechanisms would be strengthened through FAQ testing, AI-based grain analysers at procurement centres handling more than 5,000 metric tonnes, CCTV surveillance and live monitoring.
The policy also envisages mill tagging and MMDF/route optimisation to ensure timely milling and minimise transportation costs.
To address farmers' grievances, district-level control rooms and the toll-free helpline number 1967 will be made available. Border checking and CCTV surveillance will also be strengthened to prevent unauthorised inflow of paddy from neighbouring states.
The Kharif paddy procurement period will continue from November 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027.
The Chief Secretary said Odisha would continue to meet its rice requirements under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), State Food Security Scheme (SFSS) and other welfare programmes, while surplus rice would be delivered to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) for the Central Pool.
In another significant decision, the State Cabinet approved a proposal to amend the Odisha Civil Services (Combined Competitive Recruitment Examination) Rules, 1991, removing restrictions on the number of attempts a candidate can make in the Odisha Civil Services (OCS) examination.
With the amendment, candidates fulfilling the prescribed age and other eligibility criteria will be allowed to appear for the OCS examination without any restriction on the number of attempts.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg said the decision would provide wider and fairer opportunities to aspiring candidates and ensure a more inclusive, merit-based selection process.
The two decisions are expected to benefit farmers across the state and provide greater opportunities to young aspirants seeking careers in the Odisha Civil Services.
UNI DP
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