Ensure No Corruption In Procurement and MSP Paid to the Farmers: CM Jagan
Vijayawada: Officials should ensure that there is no corruption in procurement of paddy and MSP is paid to the farmers for paddy and other agricultural produce, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has said.
Speaking at a review meeting on agriculture and civil supplies departments at the CM’s Camp Office here on Wednesday, Jagan Mohan Reddy asked officials to ensure that there are no intermediaries and no role for millers in procurement.
“Farmers are getting an additional Rs 250 per quintal by way of GLT (gunny, labour and transportation) during procurement along with the MSP and this is a revolutionary decision,” he said.
The officials told the CM that they are procuring millets along with paddy from the farmers.
Jagan Mohan Reddy said steps should be taken to use the procured millets in the proposed food processing units. "More food processing units should be established as the quantity of procured millets will go up besides distributing them through PDS outlets and creating awareness among the people on the health benefits of millet intake."
Pointing out that Rs 31,005.04 crore has so far been spent on Rythu Bharosa, the CM told them to get ready for distribution of this year's second tranche of the programme.
Officials told the CM that so far, 422 farmers have been trained in the use of Kisan Drones. By November end, training will be completed for at least one farmer in each mandal, and they would train the rest.
The Chief Minister stressed on the need to conduct soil tests at RBK level for farmers cultivating high-yielding crops. “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 the Cheyutha programme, Jagan Mohan Reddy directed them to focus on supporting the self-help groups' members by arranging bank loans in addition to the financial help extended by the government, and helping them launch sustainable self-employment outlets. "It is also the responsibility of officials to ensure that the benefitted women succeed in their endeavours through regular monitoring and evaluation," he said.
When officials reminded the CM that many women have benefited from Amul, he asked them to take it forward vigorously and explore 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.
The officials told him that Rabi would be cultivated in about 10 lakh acres, making use of 73 per cent of the available area due to lack of sufficient 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. Distribution of 45 per cent of the seeds was completed. E-cropping on Kharif has been done up to 85 per cent and this would be completed by October 15.
Agriculture minister Kakani Govardhana Reddy, civil supplies minister K.V. Nageswara Rao, animal husbandry minister Dr S. Appala Raju, agri mission vice-chairman M.V.S. Nagi Reddy, adviser to government (agriculture) I. Tirupal Reddy, chief secretary Dr K.S. Jawahar Reddy, agriculture special CS Gopalakrishna Dwivedi and special commissioner C. Harikiran, horticulture commissioner Dr S.S. Sridhar, APSSDC MD G. Sekhar Babu, civil supplies commissioner H. Arunkumar and director Vijaya Sunita, APSCSC MD G. Veerapandian and animal husbandry director R. Amarendra Kumar were present.
