Min seeks Rs 1,702 cr dues from Centre

PNS|Vijayawada

AP State Civil Supplies Minister Karumuri Venkata Nageswara Rao has asked the Centre to pay Rs 1,702 crore owed by the Central Food and Public Distribution System to Andhra Pradesh from the financial year 2012-13 to 2017-18. The Minister participated in the meeting organised under the auspices of the Union Food and Public Distribution in New Delhi on Thursday.

Minister Nageswara Rao submitted a memorandum to Union Food and Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal stating that AP is facing financial troubles due to the pending of these funds for the past six years.

He said that Telangana State has to pay Rs 963.07 crore due for the financial year 2014-15, the necessary documents regarding these were submitted to the Centre many times and sought the Union Minister to initiate measures to provide pending dues from Telangana State.

Minister Nageswara Rao asked the Deputy Secretary of the Central Food and Public Distribution Department to pay cash for gunny bags used for rice grain collection. He said that the Centre should also pay the Mandi labour charges to be paid to the porters. He said that according to the agreement between the Centre and the States, the Mandi labour charges have to be paid till the financial year 2024-25 at the rate of Rs 22 per quintal. He requested for technical assistance for the foolproof paddy collection and strengthening of the public distribution system.

Civil Supplies Commissioner Arun Kumar, MD G Veerapandian, and others participated in this meeting.