Marketing Minister T Harish Rao on Monday informed the Telangana Legislative Assembly that steps were being taken for modernisation Agriculture Market Committee of Nizamabad.
Replying to a question raised by TRS MLA Bigala Ganesh during Question Hour, Harish Rao said that the government was considering expansion of Nizamabad AMC by merging it with the fruit market and acquiring adjacent lands. He informed that the AMC’s income was on the rise for the last three years. As against the income of Rs 13.90 lakh in 2011-12, the income was Rs 15.66 lakh in 2012-13 and the same crossed Rs 16.87 lakh in 2013-14. He said that the Nizamabad AMC was a Selection Grade Secretary Cadre and as per the income norms it may be second position in Telangana State after Warangal.
Harish Rao said that the AMC has 16 godowns with 21,000 Metric Tonnes capacity for storing the agricultural produces. Of them, five are exclusive earmarked for storing of farmers’ produce of paddy under Rythu Bandu Pathakam. The government plans to construct another godown of 5,000 MT capacity. He said that the nala passing through AMC would be covered with slab at a cost of Rs 2 crore.
The AMC is extending the interest-free loans of Rs 2 lakh for 180 days on pledging of paddy under the Rythu Bandu Pathakam. In the year 2013-14, as many as 206 people benefitted from the scheme. He said there is a proposal to extend the scheme to more number of beneficiaries. (INN)