Ryots petition tahsildar, seek promised red gram price

Parigi: Farmers under the leadership of CPI(M) on Friday submitted a representation to local Tahsildar Abid Ali alleging that the promised price of red gram was not paid to 2,100 ryots after promising Rs.5,450 per quintal. They claimed that the dues totalled Rs.11 crore.

District CPI(M) committee member M Venkatayya informed the tahsildar that redgram from farmers was purchased by the government a month back, but it failed to pay the price. He stated that the delayed payments were causing hardship to ryots as they had taken loans from private lenders to raise the crop.

He said this placed them in a dilemma and made them wonder how could the government  itself not pay the promised price. He stated that some farmers had fixed marriages in the families with the hope of receiving amounts from the government. This was causing severe anxiety among many affected  farmers.

Venkatayya demanded immediate payment of the promised price to farmers. He warned that if the amount were not paid the ryots would paralyse traffic on the Parigi highway. Among those present when the representation was submitted included party leaders M Ravinder, Habib, Yadayya.