Andhra Pradesh - Khammam   

Agriculture officials at the receiving end at ZP meet

ZP Chairperson G. Vijaya Lakshmi and district Collector Siddharth Jain at the general body meeting in Khammam on Saturday.

KHAMMAM: Officials of the Agriculture Department came in for sharp criticism from several ZPTC members during the general body meeting of the Zilla Parishad held here on Saturday, for their alleged laxity in procuring adequate quantity of seed for the ensuing kharif season.

The meeting witnessed an intense debate over the stock position in respect of paddy, cotton, and other seed. Unsatisfied with the reply given by Joint Director of Agriculture K. Hemamaheshwara Rao, some opposition members insisted on more clarity in regard to the stock position. CPI Floor leader and Konijerla ZPTC member D. Ramesh alleged that the officials lacked foresight and failed to obtain the required quantity of seed in time. Citing the weather forecasts, he said monsoon had already arrived in the State. “The officials should have procured adequate quantity of seed and commenced supply to the farmers by now,” he said.

Echoing similar views, several ZPTC members said that the farmers were making desperate attempts to procure seed from other sources and, in turn, falling a prey to what they called evil tactics of errant seed companies, mainly those located in the neighbouring States.

Cotton seed

The Joint Director of Agriculture said that more than 1.60 lakh cotton seed packets had already arrived in the district as against the requirement of 8 lakh. “We have made all arrangements to supply the seed to the farmers through the District Cooperative Marketing Society outlets,” he said.

Call centre

When a section of the opposition members sought clarifications on the problems faced by farmers, particularly tenant farmers in availing themselves of loans and rescheduling heir loans,

Collector Siddharth Jain intervened and assured appropriate action, including setting up of a toll-free call centre to redress the grievances of farmers.

Various other issues pertaining to the operation of paddy purchase centres, requirement of new electricity sub-stations, among others, also came up for discussion.

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