Hyderabad: Special steering panel constituted to provide digital services on innovative topics

Hyderabad: The State government has constituted a special steering committee under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari to provide digital services on innovative topics such as providing agricultural technology to farmers, agri start-ups, food processing units.

The committee will have the secretaries of Agriculture, Revenue and IT departments as members.

The Chief Secretary said there is a need to make more progress in horticulture, specially to encourage farmers on a large scale in cultivation of vegetables. She cautioned against circulation of adulterated oils; to prevent this extensive marketing of unadulterated Vijaya oil products should be taken up.

Santhi Kumari held a review meeting on Agriculture department at BRKR Bhavan here on Wednesday. Secretary (Agriculture) Raghunandan Rao, Commissioner (Horticulture) Hanumantha Rao, Marketing, Cooperation department, Oilfed, HACA, Warehouses and AGROS department officials attended.

The CS said the goal of one crore acres of "Magani" has been achieved due to pro-agricultural policies. Due to revolutionary schemes such as irrigation facility, Rythu Bandhu, mechanisation, Rythu Bhima, 24-hour electricity supply, purchase of agri produce, paddy is cultivated in the State in 1.2 crore acres during 'Vanakalam' and 'Yasangi' seasons.

After paddy, cotton is grown in 56.37 lakh acres, she said. Telangana is second in the country in rice production and third in cotton production, she added.

Officials told the CS that marketing of fake seeds is being strictly dealt with in the State, as part of which 551 people have been arrested and 347 cases registered. Sixteen persons have been booked under the PD Act; 11,872 quintals of fake seeds have been seized. Santhi Kumari said innovative policies such as connecting the agri sector with the industrial sector in the State and giving priority to health of people should be carried out on a wider scale through extensive promotion of Vijaya oil products, organic cultivation of fruits and provision of campus placements for agricultural university students should be taken up.