Farmers seek MSP; block national highway in Khammam

​Khammam/Warangal/ Karimnagar: Activists of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) and various farmers’ unions, besides Opposition parties, took part in road blockade agitation on national highway in Khammam, Warangal and Karimnagar districts on Thursday. The AIKS called for road blockade to press for solution to the problems being faced by farmers.

Agitators squatted on the national highway at Konijerla, Wyra, Enkoor, Thallada and Thirumalayapalem mandals in Khammam district and at Raparthinagar bypass road in Khammam city. Traffic remained disrupted for more than three hours on the National highway to Warangal and Karimnagar.

Speaking on the occasion, AIKS leaders accused the State government of trying to deceive the innocent farmers by flaunting the Rythu Bandhu scheme as panacea for all ills. They slammed the government for failing to ensure minimum support price for the farm produce. They demanded that the government include tenant and podu farmers too under Rythu Bandhu scheme. 

The police arrested the agitators and restored the traffic.  Meanwhile, the leaders of the CPI-ML (New Democracy) burnt an effigy of the government at Gattaiah Centre here for arresting the leaders who staged protest peacefully.

Agitating farmers,including a large number ofwomen, participated in road blockade programme and stopped the convoys of Ministers Eatala Rajender and Kadiyam Srihari at Macchapur under Geesukonda mandal in Warangal rural district. Hundreds of protestors including various farmers’ union leaders were arrested and taken to Geesukonda police station.

Slogan were raised against the government and the Ministers. The agitators demanded that the rights of the tenant farmers and Adivasis should not be violated. They demanded that the government should not extend crop investment support to the absentee landlords.

Farmers and leaders of various farmers' organisations and Opposition parties participated in the agitation from Bhadrachalam (Khammam) to Karimnagar. The police arrested the Telangana Jana Samithi party president Prof Kodandaram and CPI leader Chada Venkat Reddy along with hundreds of other farmers at Elkathurthy village in Karimnagar district. Ex-MLA Gummadi Narsaiah, All India KisanUnionleader Kecherla Rangaiah, and 200 farmers were arrested in Kothagudem.