Date:30/06/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/30/stories/2008063054220300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

ZP members’ concern over paddy seed shortage

Correspondent

“Some ‘adarsha rythulu’ appointed in violation of guidelines”

Appointment of dealers for 18 FP shops sought
Mandal-level food committee meetings made mandatory, says Minister

VIZIANAGARAM: Cutting across party lines, TDP and Congress members complained to Minister for Housing Botcha Satyanarayana at the Zilla Parishad general body meeting on Sunday about short supply of sona masuri seed in some pockets of the district and appealed for urgent steps.

Joint Director (Agriculture) M.N. Gangaram said that the shift from ‘1001’ and ‘Swarna’ varieties to ‘Sona masuri’ was due to its high yield per acre and good market rate and steps had been taken to meet the demand shortly. Further, he said, 2500 MT of fertilizers (DAP) would be supplied to farmers in the next one week.

When K. Ravi Babu asked farm officials to adopt modern technological methods for improving the yield per hectare, Y. Ramana Murty (TDP) said ‘adarsha rythulu’ who were appointed in violation of the guidelines did not have the basic knowledge of farming and no agriculture officer was visiting the field for a demonstration.

The Minister, while refuting TDP member’s statement, asked Collector B. Kishore to retrench those who were appointed in violation of the guidelines for adarsha rythulu.

On Civil supplies, the Minister said mandal-level food committee meetings were made mandatory and if such meetings were not conducted once in two months the Tehsildar would be held responsible.

He asked the Collector to fill the 18 FP shop dealer posts immediately. On a demand from Kolaka Lakshmana Murty (CPI-M), the meeting adopted a resolution extending the period of supply of Rs.2-a-kg from 1st to 15th of every month through GCC depots by five days for the benefit of tribals living in interior villages.

He said palm oil at Rs.45 per litre and red gram at Rs.30 per kg would be supplied to white card-holders from July 14. He said those who had not received ration cards could get the same from the two permanent centres opened in Vizianagaram and Parvathipuram.

The ZP general body meeting was held after a gap of 11 months. On two occasions it was postponed without a discussion. Once, after adopting a resolution condoling the death of Tentu Jayaprakash, TDP MLA, and for the second time due to model code of conduct.