Vijayawada: Ensure transparency in paddy purchase says CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy

Vijayawada : Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy directed the officials to ensure that there is no corruption in procurement and minimum support price (MSP) is paid to the farmers for paddy and other agricultural produce.

At a review meeting on agriculture and civil supplies at his camp office on Wednesday, the Chief Minister told the officials to do away with the system of intermediaries and role of millers in procurement. Farmers are getting Rs 250 per quintal additionally by way of GLT during procurement along with the MSP and this is a revolutionary decision, he said.

Officials told him that they are procuring millets along with the paddy from farmers and extending full support.The Chief Minister said that steps should be taken to use the procured millets in the food processing units being set up. “More food processing units should be established as quantity of procured millets will go up besides distributing them through PDS outlets and creating awareness among people on the health benefits of millet intake.”

Pointing out that so far Rs 31,005.04 crore has been spent on Rythu Bharosa, he told them to get ready for the distribution of this year’s second tranche of the amount. Officials informed him that so far, 422 farmers have been trained in the use of Kisan drones and by November end, training will be completed for at least one farmer in each mandal and they will train the rest.

He stressed on the need to conduct soil tests at Rythu Bharosa Kendra (RBK) level for cultivating high-yielding crops by farmers. All RBKs should be equipped with necessary facilities for conducting the tests and issuing certificates so that farmers will save money on fertilisers and choose the right crop.

Highlighting the importance of Cheyutha programme, he directed them to focus on supporting the self-help group members by arranging bank loans in addition to the financial help extended by government and helping them launch sustainable self-employment outlets. “It is also the responsibility of the officials to ensure that the benefitted women succeed in their endeavours through regular monitoring and evaluation,” he said.

When the officials reminded that many women have benefited from Amul, he asked them to take it forward vigorously while exploring opportunities in allied sectors. There should also be no scarcity of cattle fodder, he said, adding that TMR is given with every RBK as a unit.

Officials told him that rabi would be cultivated in about 10 lakh acre, making use of 73 per cent of the available area due to lack of enough rainfall in certain areas. One-lakh quintals of Bengal gram and other seeds are kept ready while the subsidy on Bengal gram is enhanced to 40 per cent from 25 per cent.

They said distribution of 45 per cent of the seeds is completed. They said that e-cropping on kharif has been completed up to 85 per cent and it would be completed by October 15.

Agriculture and cooperation minister Kakani Govardhana Reddy, civil supplies minister K V Nageswara Rao, animal husbandry minister Dr S Appala Raju and senior officials were present.