Mahabubnagar: Rice millers fleece farmers in the name of Tarugu

Mahabubnagar: Rice millers in Jadcherla and elsewhere across erstwhile Mahabubnagar district are alleged to be fleecing the farmers in the name of 'Tarugu' and causing a great loss to them.

According to a farmer Aggiram of Nasurlabad village in Jadcherla mandal, he had sold his paddy crop of 88 quintals at Indira Kranti Patham (IKP) self help group centre at Nasurlabad and received a receipt for the same, however, after he had been directed to go to the rice mill where the government is supposed to dump it to receive a counter receipt for the same, at this point, the rice miller had demanded the farmer to do away with 16 quintals as 'Tarugu' from his paddy 88 consignment, sent to the miller by the IKP centre and only then he will get the counter receipt from the miller. Aghast with this development, it is said that the poor farmer had no other option but to sit and protest against the rice miller.

This is not a single isolated case, but there are hundreds and thousands of farmers across erstwhile Mahabubnagar who have been facing a similar loot by the millers. This clearly tells that there is no supervision of authorities from Revenue, Civil supplies or the Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies. Its alleged that they are all just mute spectators who have been watching the open loot of the farmers by the millers.

"I had brought my paddy crop hoping to sell it at government procuring centre at MSP price and sold it at the IKP centre at Nasurlabad and already received a receipt, however, when the all farmers' paddy crop procured by the IKP was sent to a designated Laxmi Rajender Rice mill at Nagasala in Jadcherla and directed us to take a counter receipt from the miller, the rice miller demanded us to reduce a 'Tarugu' of 16 quintals from the total 88 quintal paddy consignment which I had already sold. After I had sold the paddy to the IKP, how far is it justifiable for the millers to take out Tarugu from it and give a receipt with less quantity against my sale at IKP. This is a clear loot. When I argued with the miller, he told complaint to anyone nobody can do anything to him," weeped Aggiram while speaking to The Hans India.

Farmer sells their produce to IKP or PACs centres, there is no role for the millers to play. They have to give only the countres receipt of the consignment they had received from the IKP or PACS centers. Due to lack of supervision by the government authorities like Revenue, Civil Supplies, Marketing and Agriculture departments, the millers are resorting to loot the farmers in the name of Tarugu. Discrepancies observed by the PACS authorities in Nasurlabad last week, the District Collector had issued suspension orders against PACs secretary Yadagiri. But, no action has been taken against him. The Palam Sudhakar Goud, PACS Chairman of Jadcherla has to take a call on the district collector's order of suspension. The internal sources have revealed that the local MLA Laxma Reddy stopped the suspension proceedings.

The farmers and the locals are alleging that due to lack of proper supervision and local MLA supporting and protecting corrupt officials who are resorting to irregularities.

Similar incidents of farmers facing problems with millers were also observed in Nagarkurnool, Gadwal and Narayanpet districts. It is high time the district administration and the State government take cognisance of this issue and save the farmers from the open loot by the millers.