Civil Supplies reforms make A.P. a model State: Manohar

Food and Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar said the Civil Supplies Department has implemented a series of historic reforms over the past two years through transparency, technology and faster service delivery, making Andhra Pradesh a model State in the civil supplies sector.

He said the government’s focus has been to ensure that farmers do not face hardship by making paddy procurement transparent and smooth, ensuring timely payments, eliminating middlemen and improving services for consumers.

Addressing a press conference at the State Secretariat on Monday, Mr. Manohar said that during the current kharif and rabi seasons, 1.29 crore metric tonnes of paddy were procured from 17.97 lakh farmers. Over the past two years, paddy worth about ₹30,361 crore was procured, with 90% of payments made within 24 hours and the remaining amount within 48 hours.

To make services simpler and more transparent, the government introduced WhatsApp-based paddy registration and sales, reportedly the first such system in the country. Through the facility, farmers can register and sell their produce directly to the government without relying on middlemen.

Mr. Manohar said more than 40,000 farmers have already used the system and sold nearly 3.50 lakh metric tonnes of paddy directly to the A.P. State Civil Supplies Corporation, significantly reducing the role of middlemen and ensuring direct benefits to farmers.

He said subsidy support of ₹764 crore for 97.36 lakh cylinders was credited directly to beneficiaries in the first phase, ₹777 crore for 93.83 lakh cylinders in the second phase, ₹791 crore for 94.81 lakh cylinders in the third phase and ₹760 crore for 92.28 lakh cylinders in the fourth phase. An advance of ₹300 crore was also released to Oil Marketing Companies for the fifth phase.

The Minister further highlighted the issuance of QR code-based Smart Ration Cards to 1.49 crore families. Under the One Nation-One Ration Card system, beneficiaries can collect ration from any fair price shop in the State.

The government is also providing doorstep delivery of ration to elderly and differently-abled beneficiaries. In addition, it is implementing the Dokka Seethamma mid-day meal scheme with superfine rice. About 2.25 lakh quintals of superfine rice have been procured and supplied to 41,000 government schools and 4,000 welfare hostels under the scheme.