Spurious seed traders booked under PD Act

Spurious seed traders booked under PD Act
x
Highlights

Sending shivers down spurious seed traders’ spine, the police on Friday invoked the Preventive Detention (PD) Act against the managing director of Madanapalle-based Green Era Seed Company and a local distributor, allegedly responsible for chilli crop failure in thousands of acres spread across Khammam and Warangal regions. 

Khammam/Warangal: Sending shivers down spurious seed traders’ spine, the police on Friday invoked the Preventive Detention (PD) Act against the managing director of Madanapalle-based Green Era Seed Company and a local distributor, allegedly responsible for chilli crop failure in thousands of acres spread across Khammam and Warangal regions.

For the first time, a case under the PD Act has been registered against spurious seed traders in the region. It may be mentioned here that spurious seed issue came to fore when farmers in Khammam and Warangal regions, who sowed CS-333 variety seed of the Green Era Company and Jeeva (JCH-801) extensively suffered crop failure this Kharif season, took to the streets in protest last month.

Since then the farmers’ wings of almost all Opposition parties supporting the distraught farmers have been staging rallies and demonstrations against the State government demanding stern action against the seed companies and those abetted in the distribution of spurious seed. At least nine case.

Acting on the complaints filed by the aggrieved farmers, the Agriculture Department registered cases against Green Era and Jeeva (JCH-801) seed companies. The seed experts also confirmed that chilli crop witnessed a stunted growth due to spurious seed, it’s learnt.

In this connection, the police arrested six persons last month besides forming special teams to nab the heads of companies in question. One of the team went to Madanapalle to question the managing director of Green Era Company Kondappagari Shiva, said to be the kingpin of interstate seed racket. However, the police nabbed him later.

Superintendent of Police Shahnawaz Qasim, who took serious note of the farmers’ plight, directed the Wyra DSP Sridhar Reddy to invoke PD Act against Shiva and Ramachandra Seed Trading Company owner Vadlamudi Venkata Sagar. Both of them were shifted to Warangal Central Prison on Friday.

Meanwhile, it’s learnt that police also arrested Jeeva Company manager MSK Krishna Kumar of Guntur in connection with fake seed case. “This could ban eye opener for those thriving on spurious seed business,” the SP said, stating that no one will be spared if involved any such acts.

Welcoming the arrest of seed traders under PD Act, Telangana Rythu Sangham state joint secretary Nunna Nageswara Rao told The Hans India: “Now, the onus is on government to make the seed companies to cough up compensation to chilli growers, who invested around Rs 60,000 per acre. Meanwhile, the government needs to provide an input subsidy of Rs 30,000 per acre.”

Show Full Article
Print Article
Next Story
More Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENTS