Government , rice millers looting farmers: Congress

Karimnagar: The State government joined hands with rice millers and playing with the lives of innocent farmers, alleged Congress district vice-president Gangadi Tirupati Reddy. Demanding the government to purchase paddy without imposing any restrictions, Congress leaders and activists staged a dharna and organised rasta roko on Karimnagar and Jammikunta road for about three hours at Narasingapuram village of Veenavanka mandal in the district on Tuesday.

Speaking on the occasion, G Tirupati Reddy alleged that a few days ago, Minister Eatala Rajendar inaugurated paddy purchasing centre in Veenavanka mandal and ordered the officials to purchase all kinds of food grains including those turned black. Even one week, the officials did not purchase even single a food grain till date, he alleged.

'Though the farmers brought their produce to the purchasing centres after drying them on the road, about one month ago, the officials were not in a mood to purchase the grains and wasting time for unnecessary reasons. Between the Ministers, who gives statements, and the officials, who will not implement the statements, the farmers are becoming scapegoats,' he criticised.

Reddy pointed out that rice millers and government officials by colluding with each other encouraging middlemen to purchase food grains for Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,400 per quintal and looting the innocent farmers.

Farmers after facing lot of hardships had invested huge amounts of money and cultivated the crops as directed by the government under the new agriculture policy. They even faced problems with the incessant rains that occurred in recent times. But now they were unable to get profits and even couldn't get their investment, the Congress leader lamented. Police interrupted their dharna and cleared the traffic.