Govt. to construct new cold storages, godowns with RIDF funds, enhance capacity of existing ones
HYDERABAD
The Marketing department will soon take up construction of cold storages and warehouses (godowns) by availing the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development and also arrange closed-circuit camera systems in the agricultural markets and Rythu Bazaars, Minister for Agriculture Tummala Nageswara Rao has stated.
In a meeting with the senior officials of agriculture, marketing, Oilfed, Seeds and other line departments held here on Tuesday, the Minister instructed the authorities to take up testing of at least 2 lakh samples by the month-end so that the farming community could take proper decisions on the crops suitable to their landholdings. He also wanted the authorities to submit the final list of Primary Agriculture Cooperative Credit Societies (PACS) to be formed.
The Minister expressed dismay over the non-conduct of audit of the apex cooperative societies and instructed the authorities concerned to take necessary action against the audit officers concerned. In addition to taking up the construction of new godowns and cold storages, there was a need to enhance the storage capacity of the existing facilities, he noted.
Asking the marketing department officials to ensure that only the genuine farmers sold their produce in the Rythu Bazaars, he told them to install closed-circuit camera systems in all Rythu Bazaars and agricultural markets to prevent private traders sneaking into the facilities and carrying out activities in the guise of farmers. The Minister wanted the officials to arrange digital display boards in all markets.
Further, he told them to reorganise the existing market yards based on the proposals received from the elected representatives so that those possible could be created. Authorities of the agriculture department explained to the Minister that about 40 lakh cotton seed packets were already positioned in districts ahead of the rainy/sowing season and another 2 crore packets would be made available over the next 10-15 days.
PACS as FPOs
The Minister stated that the government had procured about one-lakh tonnes of jowar already despite the fact that it could lead to financial loss to the government. He told the officials to speed up the process to transform the 311 PACSs as Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs). On the inquiry into irregularities in PACSs and DCCBs, the officials apprised the Minister that ₹6.38 crore was recovered in case of inquiries completed and another ₹19 crore pertaining to the 74 pending charges was yet to be recovered.
Secretary Agriculture M. Raghunandan Rao, Director Agriculture B. Gopi, MD Oilfed and TGSDC Sk. Yasmin Basha, MD Markfed V. Srinivas Reddy, MD Seed Certification K. Keshavulu and others participated in the meeting.
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