In a move that would benefit more farmers, the State government has issued orders to procure paddy even from ryots whose land do not figure in the Rythu Bandhu list.
Similarly, farmers whose cultivation is not in the records can bring their produce to procurement centres and sell it. The only condition is that it should be certified by Agriculture Extension Officers (AEOs). Once certified, a token will be issued to the farmer and he can go to either an Indira Kranthi Patham (IKP) or Primary Agriculture Cooperative Society (PACS) and sell the produce by showing it.
“Farmers have to submit land records, bank account details and Aadhaar details to the AEO. Then, officials with the coordinator of Rythu Samanvaya Samithi in the village will ascertain the facts at the ground level. The agriculture officer will upload details of the farmer in the Online Procurement Management System (OPMS) and pass on the token to the AEO. While the token will be handed over to the farmer, a copy will be sent to the in-charge at the concerned procurement centre,” said an officer involved in the process.
Once a farmer shows the token, an OTP will be sent to the Aadhaar linked mobile phone and the buying process will be completed.
For such farmers, ‘add new farmers’ land’ provision was made available in OPMS. Here, farmers’ bank account and Aadhaar details will be entered. The land records will be updated in the system once the details are entered successfully.
“All issues such as tenant farmers’ problems, records not reflecting in Rythu Bandhu data, and mismatch of land cultivated were addressed even before paddy procurement started. Farmers can come to procurement centres and sell their produce without any hassle,” an official said.
