VIJAYAWADA: The Kerala government has sought the state to supply 60,000 metric tons of MTU 3626 (Bondalu) Jaya variety rice to them. An agreement in this regard will be signed by both governments soon, said Civil Supplies Minister Karumuri Venkata Nageswara Rao.
Kerala Civil Supplies Minister GR Anil along with his officials called on Nageswara Rao at the Civil Supplies Office here on Monday. The duo discussed supplying and procuring various commodities between both the states. Disclosing the details before the media, Nageswara Rao said that Kerala is buying 60,000 metric tonnes of Jaya variety of rice from Andhra Pradesh every year along with pulses, pesal, millet, red chillies etc.
In this regard, the Kerala Government wants to enter into an agreement with the AP. The Kerala government has informed that 550 tonnes of chillies will be required per month. A delegation from Kerala led by GR Anil has expressed their interest in entering into an agreement with the AP Civil Supplies Department and MarkFed for supply of jaya rice and red chillies to meet the demand of Kerala consumers. The Kerala delegation informed that 4,500 tonnes of jaya rice and 550 tonnes of dry chillies are needed every month, he said.
The minister further said that a meeting will be held with the delegations of both governments at the field level in Kerala on October 27 on all matters after discussing with the state government. The Kerala delegation congratulated the state government on the implementation of the door-to-door ration scheme through the newly introduced Mobile Dispensary Unit (MDU) in the state, he said.
Referring to the alleged scam in the civil supplies department in Nellore district, Nageswara Rao said that five employees have already been suspended in this regard to confirm that there has been a fraud to the tune of Rs 30 crores. The audit has been conducted and it has been confirmed that this scam has been going on since the year 2017. He further said that those responsible for this will be severely punished and request Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to probe an CID inquiry full-scale investigation into the situation.
The minister also said that the government will pay the money on time along with providing an affordable price for the crop grown by the farmer. He made it clear that there is no pending amount to be paid to the farmer in connection with the purchase of grain anywhere in the state. Kerala Civil Supplies Minister GR Anil said that they will discuss the price of Jaya rice supply to the state and make a decision on October 27. “If everything goes well, an agreement will be entered with the AP government regarding the Jaya rice supply to the state”, Anil said. Andhra Pradesh Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Commissioner H. Arun Kumar and others were also present.