GUWAHATI: The Assam Cabinet has announced the implementation of Partial Decentralised Procurement (DCP) of paddy in Bongaigaon and Biswanath districts. The Assam Food and Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd (AFCSCL) will spearhead this initiative during the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2023-24, with an estimated cost of ₹21.69 crore.
To formalise the process, a tripartite agreement is set to be signed among the Assam Government, the Food Corporation of India (FCI), and the Department of Food, Public Distribution, Government of India. The DCP system aims to streamline paddy procurement by involving designated agencies in the procurement, milling, and distribution stages.
Under the new system, the designated agency will procure paddy directly from farmers at Minimum Procurement Price (MP), mill the paddy in assigned rice mills, and subsequently dispatch the rice to designated godowns. The distribution process will be overseen by the Commissioner of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs through designated Fair Price Shops (FPS).
The procurement targets for the two districts are set as follows:
Bongaigaon: 14,000 MT with an estimated rice recovery of 9,380 MT at a 67 per cent recovery rate.
Biswanath: 15,000 MT with an estimated rice recovery of 10,050 MT at a 67 per cent recovery rate.