VIJAYAWADA: Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Nadendla Manohar on Friday asked officials to ensure extensive publicity, uninterrupted supplies and uncompromised quality for the State’s low-cost rice sale programme, which will now be launched on August 2, a day later than scheduled, due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bhogapuram airport inauguration programme.
Reviewing the preparedness through a teleconference with Joint Collectors, Civil Supplies officials and representatives of the Rice Millers’ Association, the Minister said the initiative should be widely publicised so that consumers across the State could benefit from affordable, quality rice. He instructed Joint Collectors to closely monitor the sale centres and ensure seamless implementation of the programme. The government has fixed the price of BPT Super Fine Rice at Rs 52 per kg and BPT Raw Rice at Rs 50 per kg. The rice will be sold through 130 Rythu Bazaars and around 500 rice mill counters across Andhra Pradesh. Manohar said there should be no compromise on the quality of rice supplied to consumers and warned that any lapse would be dealt with seriously. He directed officials to ensure uniform standards in packaging and distribution.
A dedicated online platform will monitor sales, consumer purchases and feedback, enabling authorities to shift stocks to districts witnessing higher demand. Aadhaar registration at sale counters is mandatory.