Rice millers demand hike in milling charges

Warangal: Rice millers here have taken to the streets demanding the State Government to address their various problems. A massive rally was taken from Zoo Park to District Collectorate where they staged a demonstration. The agitation was held under the aegis of Warangal District Rice Millers Welfare Association. The association was seeking increase in milling charges, exemption from power cuts along with various other demands. The association district president Devunuri Anjaiah, general secretary Uppula Venkateshwarlu, treasurer S Madhavashanker and others addressed the gathering. They demanded immediate measures by government to address their problems. They informed that from Tuesday on wards the millers and labourers working at hundreds of rice mills would take up relay-hunger strikes across the district in support of their demands.A Anajaiah while addressing the gathering noted that the milling charges being given to the millers by the government for processing the rice were fixed 25 years ago. "During the past several years electricity charges have risen by 200 percent while labour and charges have risen to about 300 percent" he said adding but there was no change in the milling charges. As a result huge numbers of rice millers across Andhra Pradesh were facing financial difficulties and were not able to pay their bank loans, electricity bills and also the labour charges, he lamented. The rice millers have also sought an exemption for the mills from the provisions of Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board and also from power cuts imposed by various electricity distribution companies in the state.