Vijayawada: Chief Minister Jagan has directed officials to ensure farmers get minimum support price (MSP) for their produce and laid stress on making Rytu Bharosa Kendras play a vital role in this context.
The CM reviewed the purchase of paddy and other crops, at a high-level meeting with minister for agriculture Kannababu and top officials at his Camp Office here on Monday. He made it clear that the state government’s objective was to provide MSP to the farmers without fail and told officials there should not be any slackness on this count.
“Interact with farmers regularly to know about their problems,” Jagan told the officials.
Maintaining that nobody used to take discoloured and wet paddy earlier, the CM said that the YSRC government has however come to the rescue of farmers and would provide MSP for all their produce.
He said there was the need to eliminate the role of millers in the purchase of paddy. “Their role should come in only after the purchase of paddy.” He asked the officials to ensure no farmer was cheated as regards the quality of paddy.
The CM also asked officials to facilitate exports of farm produces directly from the state government to other countries as this would benefit the farmers.
As for RBKs, the CM asked the officials to keep five persons at each RBK for purchase of paddy and other crops. These five should go to the farmers, interact with them and make arrangements for purchase of paddy. They should arrange hamalis, gunny bags and transport of paddy so that the farmers need not face any hardships on these counts, Jagan said.
The CM asked the officials to make payments to farmers in 21 days from the date of purchase of paddy. “Keep a tab whether all the paddy purchase centers are opened or not. Officials must set up a phone number to receive complaints and petitions on purchase of crops at every RBK, he said, and directed the officials to take every complaint seriously and resolve them.
The chief minister asked officials to create awareness on a regular basis among the farmers on Crop Cultivator Rights Cards.
The officials informed the CM that paddy purchase was of the order of 42,237 metric tonnes per day in the state, on an average, and promised to enhance the quantum of purchases.
The CM called for an action plan to raise alternative crops and asked the officials to enlighten farmers on such aspects. Giving special bonus to such farmers is one idea, the CM said, and asked officials to ensure the farmers earned a good income from agricultural activities.
