Streamline procurement of paddy, CM tells officials

Tadepalli: Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy said that the government has brought changes in the purchase and procurement of paddy without involving the millers and to provide minimum support price (MSP) for farmers.

During a review at the camp office on paddy procurement for kharif season and other crops on Monday, the Chief Minister took stock of the implementation of the new system. The authorities should take appropriate steps to solve minor problems that arise while observing how this new system is being implemented.

The Chief Minister said that officials should anticipate the grain collection to be made and bags should be made available well in advance. Accountability should be maintained by the officials in transport and reimbursement of labour expenses and payments should be made in a transparent manner. He suggested that the officials examine the system and make it better for the benefit of the farmers. Farmers should know that the government is paying the cost of transportation and gunny bags.

He said steps should be taken to get money from the corporation through direct cash transfer which will bring more transparency in payments.

With signal problems that may arise in the app designed for grain collection, the officials should enrol the details offline and make changes so that all the details are automatically loaded online when signal frequency is high. Similar practices are being followed by many government departments. Adequate technical assistance should be sought from those departments, he said.

The Chief Minister said that posters should be displayed in Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs) to provide comprehensive information on procurement and purchases, besides creating awareness among the farmers.

He said the civil supplies department should prepare Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on the duties of district managers. Effective monitoring should be ensured in compliance with these SOPs and without any room for manipulation and corruption, the Chief Minister said.

Farmers should be encouraged to cultivate millets on a large scale, the Chief Minister said, adding that focus should be also laid by the civil supplies department on supplying millets for those who need them.

Agriculture minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy, civil supplies minister Karumuri Venkata Nageswara Rao, AP Agriculture Mission vice-chairman M V S Nagi Reddy, chief secretary K S Jawahar Reddy, principal secretary (marketing and cooperative society) Chiranjeevi Chowdary, finance secretary K V V Satyanarayana, secretary (transport, roads and buildings) PS Pradyumna, secretary (civil supplies) H Arun Kumar, agriculture commissioner C Hari Kiran, marketing commissioner Rahul Pande, civil supplies director Vijaya Sunitha and other officials were also present.