VIJAYAWADA: Reiterating that farmers remain the top priority of the coalition government, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Nadendla Manohar said the government has implemented a series of reforms over the past two years to ensure better services for farmers and consumers alike.
Addressing a press conference at the Secretariat on Monday, the minister Manohar highlighted the achievements of the Civil Supplies Department and outlined several future initiatives aimed at strengthening food security and improving public service delivery.
The minister stated that the government procured a record 1.29 crore metric tonnes of paddy from 17.97 lakh farmers during the last two years by paying Rs 30,361 crore, while also clearing `1,674 crore in pending dues left unpaid by the previous government.
Manohar said technology-driven reforms have simplified procurement, with 44,081 farmers using a WhatsApp-based system to schedule paddy sales, facilitating the transportation of over 3.51 lakh metric tonnes of paddy to rice mills.
He said the government has transformed the paddy procurement process by ensuring prompt payments to farmers.The administration has ensured that 94 per cent of payments are made within 24 hours and 100 per cent within 48 hours. The Civil Supplies Minister has added that tarpaulins worth Rs 50 crore were distributed to farmers to protect harvested paddy during the monsoon season.
Highlighting other reforms, the minister said Andhra Pradesh became the first state in the country to issue ATM-style ration cards with unique QR codes to more than 1.49 crore families, improving transparency and access to welfare benefits.
