Rs.15 crore per year as cess

Nil benefit to farmers

Dilapidated godowns

Closed shopping complexes

21 acres of area

Previous government allocation for collectorate

Bhimavaram Agriculture Market Committee is great. The warehouses in the yard were dilapidated. Farmers are left without benefit. On the other hand, shopping complexes set up for sale of agricultural products were closed. No merchant is coming there. Farmers are not bringing their produce. Bhimavaram AMC is the leader among the committees that provide income in the form of cess.

(Bhimavaram-Andhra Jyoti)

Bhimavaram AMC gets about Rs.15 crores annually. Cess is mainly obtained through aqua products. Prawn and fish traders have been collecting cess from time to time. Due to which the district is getting the highest income. There are more shrimp processing plants in Bhimavaram constituency itself. Shrimp products are exported to other countries from here. As a result, the cess income is increasing. AMC is spread over about 21 acres. Small warehouses were built in it. It is arranged to be used for storing the crops grown by the farmers. Aqua cultivation is more common in Bhimavaram constituency. A small amount of rice is cultivated. Recently, the grain produced by the farmers is being sold in the market from time to time. Even if it is stored, the prices are not likely to come. Due to this, the warehouses in AMC are not being used by farmers and traders. Dilapidated. Lakhs of rupees were spent and a shopping complex was built. As no one came for rent, they are lying idle.

Proposal to the Collectorate

Same is the case with all the market yards in the district. Yards are not used by farmers. Keeping this in mind, the previous government issued orders to build a collectorate in Bhimavaram AMC. A gazette notification has been issued allotting it to the Collectorate. On the other hand, for the construction of new collectorate, Rs. 64 crore has been allocated. Meanwhile, the government has changed. The coalition government came to power. The coalition government canceled the projects that did not see the start of the works. Executing new and recurring projects. The construction of the Collectorate in Bhimavaram AMC has also stalled. Now again the discussion is going on where the collectorate will be. The MLA believes that Bhimavaram AMC will be in favor. If that happens, it is hoped that a collectorate will be established in a spacious premises. They are thinking that there will be a possibility to establish all the government offices at one place. Union Minister Srinivas Varma is also showing interest towards AMC. At present, the staff is working in the AMC office. There is a meeting hall for the meetings of the governing body in that building. Except that one structure in AMC is not useful for farmers. All are empty. A part of it was allocated for the establishment of Empeda's office. The district fisheries office is also there. Now efforts are being made to establish a collectorate.

Rented buildings are the direction

After the formation of West Godavari district with Bhimavaram as its centre, the government offices are in rented buildings. Collectorate is being held in a private engineering college. DRDA, Civil Supplies Corporation, Comprehensive Punishment Abhiyan, SP office etc. continue in rented buildings. The offices of R&B, Panchayat Raj and Rural Water Drainage Department have been set up in the Division Offices. Lack of land for own offices is haunting. MLA Anjibabu is making efforts in that direction with the intention that Bhimavaram AMC alone will not only compensate for the land deficit but also contribute to the construction of an advanced collectorate.