Hyderabad: Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswar Rao on Monday directed officials to take urgent steps to resolve issues faced by ginning millers in Telangana. He instructed the Chairman and Managing Director of the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) to visit the state on Tuesday for discussions with stakeholders, including farmers and ginning industry representatives.
Minister seeks Centre’s help on ginning crisis
Tummala also appealed to Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy to intervene in addressing the ginning industry’s concerns. Emphasising the need to prioritise farmer welfare, he called for improved accountability among District Cooperative Officers (DCOs) and District Central Cooperative Bank (DCCB) Chief Executive Officers.
Aadhaar rule hampers soybean procurement
Raising a separate issue, the minister flagged serious problems arising from NAFED’s Aadhaar-based authentication rule during soybean procurement. Many farmers, particularly tenant farmers, reportedly faced difficulties in completing the process. Tummala instructed Markfed officials to act immediately and implement corrective measures.
Meeting brings top agriculture officials together
The minister issued these instructions during a video conference with officials from the Marketing and Cooperation Departments. Senior officers, including the Agriculture Secretary, Agriculture Director, Markfed Managing Director, Marketing Director, and chairpersons and CEOs of DCCBs from multiple districts attended the meeting.