Ensure safe storage of paddy: CM to officials

LUCKNOW: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday directed officials to ensure safe storage of paddy being purchased by the government through procurement centres in the state.

Holding a review meeting at his official residence here, he laid stress on the need for purchasing maximum amount of paddy at the minimum support price (MSP) but said the safe storage of the paddy purchased from farmers was equally important.

He said shades should be arranged at the procurement centres to avoid any possible damage to the paddy due to fog etc apart from making security arrangements there. The chief minister further said the state’s storage capacity also needed to be increased. He asked officials to try to create additional storage capacity by involving farmer producer organisations to set up godowns at block level.

Yogi said the department of food and civil supply must employ the latest technology to deliver maximum benefits to beneficiaries in the minimum possible time. He said the offline system of procuring ration cards must continue along with the online system. The chief minister also asked officials to think of evolving a permanent system to keep pulse prices in check.

FREE COACHING

At the meeting, the CM said the government would provide free coaching to students to prepare for various competitive examinations.

Directions, he said, had already been issued for free coaching for exams conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in the first phase and the same, the CM hinted, would be extended to coaching for the exams conducted by various other bodies.

He asked officials to complete all procedures in a time-bound manner to set up a centre of excellence of forensic since in the state with the assistance of the Centre.

Reviewing the work of the excise department, the CM directed officials to introduce the “track and trace system” for a better monitoring of work in the department.