In a move that raised eyebrows, son of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Telugu Desam party workers welfare fund coordinator, Nara Lokesh held a review meeting with Ministers and party MLAs on paddy procurement and ensuring remunerative prices to farmers at the TDP headquarters here on Tuesday.
In the two-hour long in-camera meeting, Mr. Lokesh believed to have keenly listened to problems highlighted by the MLAs and party leaders and how Ministers responded to their queries.
Sources said wherever required Mr. Lokesh intervened and made suggestions to Ministers and wanted them to take up these problems with the officials.
Mr. Lokesh holding such a meeting in the absence of Mr. Naidu indicated his growing role in the party affairs and at times in matters relating to administration though indirectly. Incidentally he had also participated in an interactive meeting held by Mr. Naidu with party MLAs and MPs recently.
Agriculture Minister P. Pulla Rao, Civil Supplies Minister Paritala Sunitha and Handlooms and Textiles Minister Kollu Ravindra attended the meeting which discussed the problems being faced by farmers and measures needed to solve them.Mr. Pulla Rao later told reporters that the MLAs brought to their notice the problems faced by farmers at the local level. Mr. Pulla Rao said the main issue was that the payment to be done to farmers within 48 hours was taking 10 to 15 days.He said NABARD had sanctioned Rs.250 crore for constructing more godowns and the district collectors were asked to acquire land in this regard.The meeting discussed issues of lesser procurement by millers compared to last year, hike in transport charges from farm to market yard and millers should share profit generated through byproducts with farmers, he said.
The need to reduce tax on procurement of paddy and bring it on par with neighbouring States also figured at the meeting.
These suggestions would be discussed with Chief Secretary and later taken up with the Chief Minister to ensure that farmers are benefited to the maximum.
