Sugarcane growers to get permit through SMS
Friday, 19 September 2008
The Ministry of Industries has decided to introduce an electronic system in sugar mills to make the distribution system hassle-free and transparent, reports BSS.
The electronic system would be initially introduced at Mobarakganj Sugar Mills in Jhenidah from the coming sugarcane crushing season, a function at the mill was told recently.
Under the new system, sugarcane growers will get their expected purjee (permit) through mobile phone SMS and the system will generate priority list of farmers who would get when and how many purjee.
Purjee is now being given manually and there remains scope for corruption.
Access to Information Programme of Chief Adviser's Office with technical assistance from UNDP is giving support in implementing this "Electronic Purjee Manage-ment System."
"We need to adopt the modern system to serve the sugarcane growers better and in a transparent way," said ATM Ali Ashraf Khan, managing director of Mobarakganj Sugar Mills, at the function.
When introduced, he said, the new system will directly benefit about 9,000 sugarcane growers and it will also reduce hassle of sugar mill authorities.
"We want to get rid of the bad name, established rightly or wrongly in people's mind," said Ashraf Khan.
Sugarcane growers, present at the function, appreciated the new system and said it would remove farmers' worries about getting purjee timely from the mill authorities.
The electronic system - if it becomes successful - would gradually be replicated in all the 15 sugar mills of the country.
This system will also enable sugarcane growers to complain through SMS and make a complaint report automatically for the higher authorities. Under the present system, growers' complaints hardly reach the top management.
The electronic system would be initially introduced at Mobarakganj Sugar Mills in Jhenidah from the coming sugarcane crushing season, a function at the mill was told recently.
Under the new system, sugarcane growers will get their expected purjee (permit) through mobile phone SMS and the system will generate priority list of farmers who would get when and how many purjee.
Purjee is now being given manually and there remains scope for corruption.
Access to Information Programme of Chief Adviser's Office with technical assistance from UNDP is giving support in implementing this "Electronic Purjee Manage-ment System."
"We need to adopt the modern system to serve the sugarcane growers better and in a transparent way," said ATM Ali Ashraf Khan, managing director of Mobarakganj Sugar Mills, at the function.
When introduced, he said, the new system will directly benefit about 9,000 sugarcane growers and it will also reduce hassle of sugar mill authorities.
"We want to get rid of the bad name, established rightly or wrongly in people's mind," said Ashraf Khan.
Sugarcane growers, present at the function, appreciated the new system and said it would remove farmers' worries about getting purjee timely from the mill authorities.
The electronic system - if it becomes successful - would gradually be replicated in all the 15 sugar mills of the country.
This system will also enable sugarcane growers to complain through SMS and make a complaint report automatically for the higher authorities. Under the present system, growers' complaints hardly reach the top management.