Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, June 10, 2015 :

Odisha government has decided to introduce paddy procurement automation system (PPAS) in 160 high procuring blocks of various districts during this fiscal to achieve 90% of the total procurement through this system.

Assessing the successful operation of PPAS in 60 blcoks during 2014-15 Kharif Marketing Season (KMS), a high level meeting held under the chairmanship of chief secretary Gokul Chnadra Pati here on Wednesday has added 100 more blocks under the system, officials said.

Pati has asked the department to make the system farmer centric and introduce systematic changes for making it error free basing on the hitches from last year. The department has been advised to take advance steps for imparting training to the PACS personnel regarding farmers’ registration, appropriate entry on online data, maintenance of records etc. The department has also been advised to link farmers registration number with his adhara number.

“The farmer who does not have adhara number be motivated to get registered at permanent registration centers operating at Tahasil levels”, he remarked.

Discussions in the meeting show that PPAS has brought in transparency, efficiency, accuracy and economy in the process of paddy procurement in the State. It has also ensured timely payment to farmers and has streamlined fund flow information across all the banks. The system provided for real time monitoring of the progress of procurement in various districts.

The system was successful in 60 blocks during 2014-15 KMs. Around 2.29 lakh farmers were brought into its fold and 49% of the total State procurement were done through this automated system.

Additional Chief Secretary Finance Sri R. Balakrishnan, Principal Secretary Agriculture Sri Rajesh Verma, Principal Secretary Cooperation Sri Manoj Ahuja, Regional Director RBI Sri P.K. Jena, Registrar Cooperative Societies Sri Dhiren Patnaik along with other senior officers from respective departments participated in the discussions.