HYDERABAD: The state government has constituted a Cabinet sub-committee to study various issues related to paddy procurement and make recommendations to resolve those issues.
Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari issued orders to this effect on Wednesday.
The sub-committee comprises Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Food & Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, IT & Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu and Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao.
The sub-committee will study and make recommendations on issues like hiring of godowns, bank guarantees from rice millers, milling charges and paddy driage issues.
Later in the day, the committee held a meeting here. Speaking on the occasion Uttam said that the Agriculture Department will share crop data with the Online Paddy Management System (OPMS), ensuring accurate information on the paddy varieties grown in the state.
“This system will enable efficient procurement, making payments directly to farmers’ accounts,” he said.
Uttam also stated that the Civil Supplies department would run a comprehensive awareness campaign to educate farmers about the `500 per quintal incentive for superfine variety of paddy.
In addition to this, training sessions will be conducted for PPC staff to ensure the correct identification of the super fine paddy, following the guidelines set by the Agriculture department, he added.