The Agricultural Marketing Department, Andhra Pradesh, has moved lock, stock and barrel to the capital region. On Monday, 35 personnel of the department arrived in a Volvo bus from Hyderabad and were accorded a warm welcome by the local staff. The department would start functioning on June 16 from a refurbished Farmer’s Rest House on the premises of Old Chilli Yard at Chuttugunta on Guntur-Hyderabad highway.
The premises will also have the camp office of Minister for Agriculture Prathipati Pulla Rao, offices of departments of Agriculture, Horticulture and Sericulture.
With this move, the Department of Agriculture and its allied wings have their base in Guntur. Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University office has already been functioning from an apartment on Inner Ring Road, Gorantla.
The dilapidated building has been refurbished and individual cabins have been created to accommodate the offices of Director, Joint Directors, Deputy Directors and Assistant Directors. The department will also recruit a few personnel to work as data entry operators through outsourcing.
Headed by Commissioner and Director, Marketing, P. Mallikarjuna Rao, an IFS officer on deputation, the department will supervise the functioning of 13 Agricultural Marketing Committees in the State besides Rythu Bazaars.
“We have moved to Guntur primarily because we have a building on our land. Over 10,000 square feet space has been made available after carrying the repair works to an old building which has never been used. We have also moved files and other office furniture from Hyderabad.
The staff have been told to make their own accommodation arrangements,” Joint Director, Marketing, Ramanujayulu told The Hindu.
With the department of marketing moving into the Capital region, the other departments like Women and Child Welfare are also likely to move soon.
