Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said that the state government's "tough and timely" actions during the pandemic corona outbreak is ensuring the "constant stabilization of the agriculture sector with its farmer-centric COVID Agri plan".
"The government's pragmatic approach to safeguard the interests of the farmers of the state aims to help farmers overcome all the hurdles posed by COVID-19 and the consequential lockdown in the state. The plan of decentralization applied to the Rythu Bazaars has resulted in setting up of additional 471 temporary Rythu Bazars and counting apart from the existing 100 Rythu Bazar," the CMO said in a release.
"It increases the availability of essentials in abundance to citizens in every corner of the state. This helps authorities ensure that the farmers garner fair prices for their products and no cases of distress selling are reported. The decentralized system also helps authorities implement physical distancing norms by avoiding crowds at limited locations," the CMO said.
As many as 451 APSRTC buses have been converted into Mobile Rythu Bazars selling a wide range of essentials straight from the farm. This ensures that the supply of the essentials reaches even the most remote areas.
According to the CMO, the department of Agriculture Marketing has also scaled up its doorstep delivery services. One fourth (25 per cent) of the products are being sold through the doorstep delivery system. The process of onboarding logistical partners is underway and an app will be launched soon.
The state government has taken up measures to create awareness while implementing social distance norms on the ground across Rythu Bazars and markets.
One such step is markings using permanent paint and lime powder has been made across all Rythu Bazars. The demarcations were made following all ICMR and central government guidelines for social distancing to avoid crowds during the relaxation period. Tokens are being issued at certain Rythu Bazars during peak hours. Most temporary Rythu Bazars are located in open areas to facilitate the same, the CMO said.
To ensure that no vendor misuses the lockdown and charges exorbitant prices for essentials and the list is displayed infant of shops, supermarkets, and Rythu Bazaars. The district committee is fixing prices for 10 essential commodities such as rice, four varieties of dal, three varieties of oil and vegetables.
( With inputs from ANI )