While TS, Centre indulge in slugfest: Khammam farmers get good price in Chhattisgarh

Khammam: While the Centre and State are busy in slugfest over paddy procurement, farmers whose tension seems to be going up by every passing day are finding ways to dispose of at least some quantity of the paddy they had produced.

Khammam farmers living along the border with Chhattisgarh are taking their paddy to the procurement centres of the Chhattisgarh state. The farmers of agency mandals of Venkatapuram, Wazedu, Cherla and Dummugudem approached their relations across the border.

The paddy grown in Khammam is being transported to the procurement centres in the neighbouring state. In some cases, even middlemen are helping Khammam farmers in selling their paddy. It is learnt that they were getting Rs 500 more per quintal as compared to the rate they were getting in Telangana even after meeting the expenditure in illegal shifting of paddy and paying the middlemen.

Officials of procurement centres in Chhattisgarh told The Hans India that this was the first time they were seeing a good number of paddy bags stocked at procurement centres set up by the Girijan Cooperative Corporation. Chhattisgarh pays for Rs 1,960 per quintal for grade 'A' paddy and Rs 1,940 for common grade.

The CEO of Satyanarayanapuram Cooperative Society, which is located in Cherla agency mandal, said that for the first time they had seen the lowest paddy procured at the centre this year.

Normally, this centre in Telangana procures over 50,000 quintals of paddy but this year only 29,150 quintals has been procured. There are nine centres in the Cherla agency mandal but farmers were not willing to come to these centres and instead sent it to Chhattisgarh through link villages.