Tribal Welfare Secretary reviews GCC, seeks retail expansion
Andhra Pradesh Tribal Welfare Secretary M. M. Naik on Saturday reviewed the functioning of the Girijan Cooperative Corporation in Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram districts, with a focus on procurement, production, and retail expansion aimed at improving the incomes of tribal communities.
Mr. Naik, accompanied by S.S. Sobhika, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of GCC, and other senior officials, inspected the GCC Soap Manufacturing Unit and reviewed operations, including sourcing of raw materials, production processes, quality control, packaging, storage, and dispatch.
During the visit, he appreciated the quality standards and hygiene maintained at the unit, officials said.
He also directed officials to increase production capacity, improve packaging design, strengthen branding efforts, and explore new markets to make GCC products more competitive.
At a review meeting held at the GCC Head Office, discussions centred on coffee procurement and Minor Forest Produce operations. The Secretary called for scaling up procurement targets in view of growing expectations among tribal gatherers and farmers.
He asked officials to strengthen procurement systems, ensure timely payments, improve aggregation mechanisms, and focus on value addition to secure better returns for tribal communities. Measures to improve supply chain efficiency and expand market linkages were also discussed.
The team later inspected a vacant GCC site at Lawsons Bay Colony and examined its possible use for strategic retail or commercial purposes.
The functioning of outlets under the Retail Marketing Division was also reviewed. Officials were asked to consider opening more outlets in high-footfall urban locations, improve product visibility, modernise display infrastructure, and adopt customer-friendly practices to boost sales.
According to officials, the visit resulted in several directions aimed at strengthening GCC’s institutional capacity, improving production and procurement systems, and expanding retail outreach through market-driven growth.