KAKINADA: Temperatures have been rising for the past two days, causing great discomfort to the general public. The temperatures were at 38 degree C at Rajamahendravaram, 35 degree C at Kakinada and Amalapuram, 38 degree C at Ramachandrapuram while the people of Godavari districts experienced heat wave conditions.
Meanwhile, the farmers in the Eastern Delta and Central Delta are happy that they were able to dry their wet crop. The recent Àsani’ cyclonic rainfall and floods had submerged the paddy fields and the harvested paddy too got wet.
Now, with the rising temperatures in the range of 35 to 38 degrees in Eastern Delta and Central delta, the farmers are able to dry their paddy. They hope sell their crop at Minimum Support Price without complaints of moisture content.
Konaseema district agriculture development officer Ananda Kumari said the water has receded fully in the paddy fields and the harvesting has been completed in 1.90 lakh acres. The farmers are drying up the crop and no damage was caused to it due to the Asani rain.
Civil supplies minister Karumuri Nageswara reviewed the paddy purchase process along with civil supplies managing director Veera Pandian, Rajamahendravaram MP Bharat, as also officials of the legal metrology, civil supplies, agriculture and revenue departments at sub-collector’s office in Rajamahendravaram on Tuesday.
He said the Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBK) would purchase the paddy with moisture content, dry this up and send it to custom milling so as to help the affected farmers. He asked officials to purchase the paddy only through RBKs. Chief minister Jagan Reddy has also has given instructions to this effect, he said.
“There will be no chance of interference from middlemen, rice millers and others in the purchase of paddy. The paddy should be purchased with MSP. After entering the data of the farmers, they can get the payments within 21 days. The government has procured 10.16 lakh metric tonnes of paddy so far out of its target of 37 lakh metric tonnes,” he said.
Nageswara Rao said essential commodities like rice should be distributed by the 15th of every month through the public distribution system. Officials should ensure the measurements are correct from the MLS Point to the Fair Price Shop. Consumers are being exploited in Malls and officials should conduct raids frequently and book cases against them, if they find such irregularities, he said.
VeeraPandian said the moisture content should be tested only at RBKs, not by the rice millers. Command control rooms should be set up in every district and these should be connected to the state command control centre.
