CM YS Jagan tells officials to strengthen e-cropping

Vijayawada: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy held a review meeting on e-cropping and paddy procurement through RBKs in the wake of beginning of the kharif season and directed the officials to strengthen e-cropping so that the compensation to crop loss can be provided.

During the review meeting held at the camp office here on Monday, the Chief Minister said the digital receipt of e-crop should be directly sent to farmer's cell phone so that the farmers could directly question over any crop loss and directed them to prepare SOPs in this regard.

He said the joint responsibility of e-cropping process should be given to VRO, survey assistant and agriculture assistant and the master register with data of lands being cultivated in the village should be available to them.

He said geo-tagging and uploading photographs should be done in e cropping and added that cropping should start from June 15 and completed by end of August. He said social audit should start in the first week of September and the lists should be displayed at village and ward secretariats.

He said higher officials should review e-cropping every 15 days and added that mandal and district level officers also should inspect the e-cropping process.

The Chief Minister directed the officials to ensure no involvement of millers in paddy procurement and said it should be done through RBKs.

He asserted that the responsibility of paddy procurement and payment of money to farmers lies with the Civil Supplies Department. He said paddy, after procurement should be weighed at another weighbridge and receipt should be given to farmers so that they will get MSP. He said it was the responsibility of the government to procure the crop and ensure MSP to farmers.

Agriculture, Co-operative and Marketing Minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Karmuri Nageswara Rao, AP Agri Mission vice-chairman MVS Nagi Reddy, Chief Secretary Dr Sameer Sharma, Agriculture Special Chief Secretary Poonam Malakondaiah, Agriculture Advisor Ambati Krishna Reddy, Marketing and Cooperative Principal Secretary Y Madhusudan Reddy, Civil Supplies Commissioner M Girija Shankar, Agriculture Special Commissioner C Hari Kiran, Finance Secretary K V V Satyanarayana and other officials were present at the meeting.