Sample collection centres will be set up in Ernakulam and Kozhikode as part of extending the services of the new chemical lab started at the Council for Food Research and Development (CFRD), Konni, for testing the nutritious value, toxin levels and quality of food, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob said here on Tuesday. “The collection centres, which will be opened this year, will act as an extension of the lab so that the public can easily submit samples for testing. Now there are no such collection centres in the state,’’ he said.
CFRD functions under the Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation (Supplyco). Supplyco will roll out 50 new mobile Maveli stores and will upgrade Maveli stores with over `10 lakh turnover into supermarkets, the Minister said. Steps have been taken to ensure that the farmers receive the procurement price for paddy within a week during the current season, he said.
In the first season from July 2012 to December 2012, 1.36 lakh tonnes of paddy were procured and in the second season which is under way, 2.17 lakh tonnes up to now. The second season will end by June 15.
Rs 231.41 crore was disbursed to the farmers as procurement price for the first season. So far, Rs 261.23 crore has been disbursed as the price for the second season procurement, Anoop Jacob said.
REGN DEPARTMENT
A Vigilance wing will be started in the Registration Department. It will be headed by an SP-rank officer, the Minister said. Fifty more sub-registrar offices will switch to the online system this year. All the 313 offices will be computerised in a phased manner.
