The state government introduced a facility for farmers to sell paddy through WhatsApp, even as it prepares to procure 51 lakh metric tonnes this season. Minister for civil supplies Dr Nadendla Manohar, who inspected paddy heaps and interacted with farmers at Chirravuru, Pathuru and Davuluru in Guntur district on Thursday, said that payment for procured paddy will be credited to farmers’ bank accounts within four hours. He instructed officials to expedite the procurement process in view of the cyclone warning and cautioned that any negligence in paddy purchases would not be tolerated.
Dr Manohar said the government has already set up 3,000 paddy purchase centres and will procure paddy with up to 15 per cent moisture as per Central government norms. He reiterated that all eligible stocks brought by farmers will be purchased and warned that licences of rice millers would be cancelled if they resort to irregularities. During his visit, he interacted with farmers to understand their issues firsthand.
The newly introduced WhatsApp facility is aimed at making paddy procurement more convenient. Farmers who wish to sell their produce can send a ‘hi’ message to 73373-59375.
They will then be prompted to enter their Aadhaar number, name and the purchase centre of their choice. After this, they can select the preferred date and time for selling their paddy. A slot booking option will be provided, followed by a schedule and coupon code, enabling farmers to complete the sale smoothly at the designated centre.
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