Market yard hamalis get debit cards

​Hyderabad: The State government proposes to make all market yard transactions cashless by the end of December.

Towards this end, in all 14,365 hamalis out of 15,399 market yard staffers have been issued debit cards linked to their bank accounts. Minister for Marketing T Harish Rao stated this in his reply during the question hour.

Harish Rao explained that the government wanted to make sure that all the market yards were brought into the ‘cashless’ mode. Accordingly, the market yards had started implementing RTGS (Real Time Gross Settlement), while Mirco ATMs facilities, supported by State-run banks, had transformed the idea into a reality.

“So far, transactions worth Rs 980 crore have been completed by farmers in market yards,” he told members. The Minister also stated that the government was aiming to bring all kinds of market transactions, including those taking place outside of market yards, under direct monitoring.

Besides, the government would come up with a law on direct purchase, which is being formulated by NALSAR University of Law. “If the University comes up with the outline, then the government will not hesitate to enact this into a law,” he said.

The Minister told members that amongst the 180 market yards, 48 were led by women chairmen, out of a quota of 60 reserved for women. For the first time reservations had been extended to market yards, where all the weaker sections, including SCs, STs, BCs and women, were getting representation.

“For the first time, market yards of Malakpet and Bodhan got women chairmen representing Minority community. Similarly a BC person took oath as chairman in Khammam, which was otherwise considered impossible,” he said.

The Minister blamed the failure to implement eNAM (electronic National Agricultural Market) on technical problems like ‘server’ malfunction. The issue was being resolved by the Central government, which had agreed to provide a separate server to the State for running eNAM transactions, he said.

Harish Rao said that on the way forward to adopt cashless transactions the Telangana government had been making rapid strides wherever there was a possibility.

It had already implemented the mechanism for transactions in Rythu Bazaars. The mechanism, presently covering nine spots throughout the State, would be extended to all the Rythu Bazaars shortly, he said.