Farmers Struggle at Chinna Tandrapadu Procurement Center Amid Gunny Bag Shortage and Exploitation

Gadwal: BRS Party Jogulamba Gadwal District Coordinator Kuruva Pallaiah Takes Stock of the Situation.

Farmers at the Chinna Tandrapadu village paddy procurement center in Alampur constituency’s Ieeja mandal are facing severe challenges due to a shortage of gunny bags. Forced to bring private bags and sell their produce at lower prices to private buyers, farmers are incurring significant losses.

During his visit to the procurement center, district party leader Kuruva Pallaiah inquired about the issues troubling the farmers. He noted the plight of Sudhakar, a farmer who sold 100 bags of paddy at a meager price of ₹1,600 per quintal due to the unavailability of gunny bags, terming it a "tragic consequence of the Congress government's betrayal of farmers."

Pallaiah observed that over 50 farmers, despite having paddy with a moisture content of less than 17%, were forced to spread their produce in the open field due to the lack of bags. He expressed concern that rains could further worsen their situation, leading to significant losses.

Upon contacting Additional Collector Lakshminarayana over the phone, it was revealed that gunny bags had already been dispatched. However, the bags had not yet reached the procurement center. Pallaiah highlighted malpractices, alleging that officials demanded 41.3 kg per bag (an additional 550 grams of paddy) instead of the standard 40 kg, exploiting farmers for personal gain.

He also criticized the Congress government for failing to provide bonuses and waiving loans, leaving farmers feeling hopeless. He demanded the immediate suspension of officials involved in deceiving farmers.

The event was attended by BRS Mandal President Mathali, along with farmers Mallikarjun, Venkatanna, Sudhakar, Suresh, and Raju, among others.