NIZAMABAD: It has been a long wait for the district marketing department officials to launch Rs 5 meal facility for farmers in Nizamabad agriculture market yard. Reason: the officials have failed to get the appointment of Irrigation minister T Harish Rao so far.
Nizamabad is one of the largest market yards in the State where farmers gather in large numbers to sell their produce, which includes paddy, turmeric, maize etc. However, for the last several years farmers have been bringing in turmeric in large quantities when compared to the other crops. Farmers arrive in large numbers to the market yard during the turmeric season and sometimes, they prefer staying in the yard till the overall process gets over completely.
In order to feed them, the marketing department officials along with Akshya Patra, an NGO decided to start implementing Rs 5 meal facility in the district. In this regard, Nizamabad Agriculture Market Committee and the NGO organisation spent `15 lakh for one year. As per the arrangement, the department and NGO would bear `10 per meal and farmer would bear `5 meal arrangement for one year.
“We made all the arrangements and developed the infrastructure facilities for the implementation of `5 meals for farmers. The facility will be launched very soon by minister T Harish Rao,” NAMC secretary S Swarupa Rani told Express.
The turmeric season has begun last month and farmers have been pouring the market yard to sell their crops.
Several farmers opined that if officials will start `5 meal programme that will become additional facility to the farmers.