P-PAS to be adopted in 160 High Procuring Blocks of Odisha in 2015-16
Bhubaneswar, 10th June: Assessing the successful operation of Paddy Procurement Automation System ( P-PAS) during 2014-15 Kharif Marketing Season ( KMS), Govt has decided to apply the system in 160 high procuring blocks of various districts during KMS 2015-16 targeting to achieve 90% of the total procurement through this system.
This has been decided in high level meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Sri Gokul Chnadra Pati in secretariat conference hall today wherein Secretary, Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare Sri Madhusudan Padhi presented the updates and outlined the issues for discussion. Reviewing the progress, Chief Secretary Sri Pati has directed 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.
Discussions in the meeting show that P-PAS 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.
It has been decided to introduce the system in 160 high procuring blocks during 2015-16 KMS targeting to have 90% of total State procurement through this 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.