Govt. to introduce mobile app to save ryots’ waiting time in queues

HYDERABAD

The State government (Agriculture department) is planning to make available a mobile app to the farming community for simplifying urea distribution/sale form this Rabi season and it would be introduced on an experimental basis from December 20.

Through the app, farmers could book urea, the most sought after soil nutrient supplement from home from the dealer of their choice instead of waiting for long hours in serpentine quest for getting urea bags, which led to chaotic scenes across the State for most part of the Kharif season.

Minister for Agriculture Tummala Nageswara Rao made this announcement during a meeting on the Rabi plan for agriculture and horticulture departments here on Monday. He also instructed the authorities to educate the farming community on the adverse effects of excessive urea and other fertilizers use on human health and also the ill impact of stubble and other agricultural waste burning.

He stated that the mobile app was being introduced to save the valuable time of the farming community from wasting in queues at the fertilizer shops. The farmers could book urea based on his landholding through the mobile app not only with the nearest dealer but any other dealer of his choice within the district. They could also know the stock position.

After booking the fertilizer, the farmer concerned would get a booking ID on his mobile phone and based on that ID he/she could take the stock from the dealer with whom it is booked. A complaint redressal cell would also be made operational to resolve problems, if any, in urea booking through the mobile app, the Minister stated.

The app would have features to book urea only to farmers who raise crops that season to prevent its misuse since Telangana was among the top States in the country in urea use. The app would have separate login options for farmers/citizens, departmental officials and dealers.

After booking the urea on app based on the pattadar passbook number and the extent in which crops are raised in a particular season, the farmers would be issued a required quantity of urea bags in 1 to 4 phases in 15 days span. The farmers not having passbooks (tenants and others) could book urea with the help of their Aadhaar numbers.