Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has said that the district ministers concerned should initiate measures to form District level Farmers Coordination Committees along with the Coordination Committees formed at the village and Mandal levels. The CM said the proposed state-level Farmers Coordination Committee would function like a Corporation and a higher official would head it. After the formation of District farmers Coordination Committees, along with the Mandal and Village Coordination Committees, conferences should be conducted four corners of the State. The CM said after the formation of the state-level Coordination Committees, a public meeting should be held at the Parade grounds here with the members of the State, District, Mandal and Village coordination committees.
The CM held a review meeting with the ministers, MPs and higher officials at Pragati Bhavan here on Saturday in the back drop of the Centre’s Annual Budget and a wide range of issues such as the state government’s schemes and programmes for the farmers welfare, free 24-hour power supply to the farm sector, timely supply of seeds and fertilisers, Irrigation projects, financial input subsidy, formation of Farmers Coordination Committees etc., Ministers T Harish Rao, Nayani Narasimha Reddy, KT Rama Rao, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Jagadeeswar Reddy, Jogu Ramanna, MPs K Keshav Rao, Jithendar Reddy, D Srinivas, Gutha Sukender Reddy, Vinod, K Vishweshwar Reddy, Smt Kalvakuntla Kavitha, BB Patil, Malla Reddy, Prabhakar Reddy, P Srinivas Reddy, Balka Suman, Chief Advisor to the government Rajiv Sharma, Chief Secretary SK Joshi, Government Advisor GR Reddy, CM Political Secretary Seri Subhash Reddy, MLC i Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, CMO Officials S Narsing Rao, Bhoopal Reddy and Rajasekhara Reddy and others participated.
Speaking at the review meetings, the CM said that the Mandal Coordination Committee members will be discussing on a regular basis with the Village Coordination Committee members and will find out what crop is cultivated to which extent and they will take responsibility of marketing the produce and getting the MSP. Farmers should bring in their Paddy in a regulated manner to the markets and they will be guided by the Coordination Committees in this regard. The CM said based on how much Paddy that a market could handle per day; the farmers should bring in the paddy. If the Paddy is not being sold in the market, the Coordination Committees will buy it. He said the Markfed responsibilities should be redefined against the backdrop of the Farmers Coordination Committees. The Coordination Committees should play a key role in eliminating all the problems of the farm sector, the CM said.
The CM said the need for mechanization of farm operations is growing and farmers should be provided with plantation and weeder machines on subsidy, as there will not be manpower to do these farm operations in future. He said the plantation machines should be supplied to all mandals on subsidy of 50%.
The CM said approximately 100 Food Processing Units should be set up in 30 districts in the State and every Assembly Segment should have one at least. He said there is a need for some more Ginning Mills than the existing ones. He said there is also a need to form Rice Mills Cluster, as more Paddy would be cultivated during the rainy season due to the availability of plenty of water. He asked the officials’ find out how they acquire central funds for the Food Processing Units.
The CM has constituted a Cabinet Sub Committee with Agriculture Minister Srinivas Reddy, Finance Minister Etela Rajender, marketing Minister Harish Rao, Industries Minister KT Rama Rao to prevent food adulteration, encourage food processing industry and to get MSP to the farm produce.
The CM also gave suggestions on the issues to be raised by the TRS MPs in the Parliament during the Budget Session. While thanking the Center for the assistance given so far to the State, the MPs should strive for the assistance to be given to the State. He said farmers’ issues should be raised in the Parliament. He said the MSP should ensure that the Centre’s gives clarity on the MSP and try and make the Centre to announce MSPs in the House. The CM also suggested that the MPS in both the Houses should raise issues pertaining to declaring Kaleswaram project as national project and granting funds, funds for Mission Bhagiratha, funds to Warangal Textile Park, integrating NREGS with agriculture, the importance of cooperative federalism etc.,