Keenly promoting millet cultivation, says Minister Dr Karumuri Nageswara Rao

Rajamahendravaram: Civil Supplies Minister Dr Karumuri Nageswara Rao stated that the State government is taking steps to promote millet cultivation. Addressing the reporters at R&B guest house here on Thursday, he said, “We are committed to providing quality food with nutritional value to the people. As a part of this, supply of three kilos of finger millets (Ragulu) to the families in Kurnool, Sri Sathya Sai and Anantapur districts has been undertaken as a pilot project. If the cardholders do not want millet, they can get rice as usual,” he added.

The Minister said that this project will be taken up in the remaining districts of Rayalaseema from next month. He urged the people to call tollfree number 1967 to complain about the problems related to civil supplies. ‘Ours is the only government that distributes ration items and quality Sartex rice door-to-door,’ he claimed. Distribution of quality wheat flour will start soon in North Andhra (Uttarandhra) districts to prevent anaemia, he added.

Minister Nageswara Rao said that while the previous government spent Rs 12,316 crore on rice distribution in five years, the YSRCP government spent Rs 22,041 crore in four years. The previous government paid Rs 487 crore on subsidy for Adhar Dal and his government spent Rs 1,073 crore. Similarly, he said that while the previous Telugu Desam government spent Rs 282 crore on sugar, the present government spent Rs 566 crore.

The Minister said that in the process of buying paddy from farmers in the State, the government bought it without the intervention of brokers. He said that 13,53,700 metric tons of grain, worth Rs 2,763 crore have been purchased from 1.50 lakh farmers. Stating that till date Rs 1,955 crore has been credited into the farmers’ accounts, Minister Nageswara Rao clarified that the remaining amount would be deposited within a week.