VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh Civil Supplies Department will soon establish a dedicated command control room at its Kanuru headquarters to monitor paddy procurement, improve transparency and address farmers’ grievances promptly, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Nadendla Manohar said on Tuesday.
Addressing the general body meeting of the Civil Supplies Corporation at Kanuru, Manohar said the control room would facilitate continuous monitoring of procurement operations and help prevent delays and difficulties faced by farmers. A special dashboard linked to the control room would also be developed to provide the public with information on Civil Supplies services.
He said the department would make wider use of technology to bring its services closer to people. WhatsApp-based services for farmers had already produced encouraging results, with 67,000 metric tonnes of paddy being scheduled through WhatsApp during the rabi season. The facility would be expanded further, he said.
Manohar also directed officials to prepare farmers for the likely impact of El Niño.
Farmers should be encouraged to cultivate crops requiring less water, particularly in view of the rainfall deficit in some districts. In Eluru district, rainfall was reportedly 74 per cent below normal, while the area under cultivation had increased by 400 per cent. This is not a situation that can be encouraged, he said, stressing the need to create awareness among farmers.