GUNTUR: Guntur Chilli Market Yard is set to get a facelift, as the State government allotted Rs 13 crore for various development works. Spread in over 20 acres, the chilli market yard is the biggest dried chilli market in Asia. The State government recently appointed Nimmakayala Rajanarayana as the agriculture market committee chairman and allotted funds for the development of the chilli yard.
As part of the developmental activities, over Rs 5 crore have been allotted for the set up of basic amenities in the chilli market yard, including renovation of washrooms, dining hall, mineral water plant, and lightning works. Speaking to TNIE, he said that Rs 90 lakh has been allotted for free meals scheme in the annual budget, and we are planning to allot more funds to ensure quality food is served to farmers and to implement the scheme without any hiccups.
Additionally, the committee agreed to set up a vegetable market, as farmers from across the State visit the yard every day. To generate revenue for the chilli yard, a two-storeyed shopping complex will be constructed and the shops will be given for rent, said the chairman Rajanarayana.
Apart from the development works, a revolutionary change has been made recently for the welfare of the farmers, the committee has imposed a ban on vendors collecting samples from farmers. While farmers appreciated the ban, vendors staged protests against this decision.
Describing the sample system, Rajanarayana said that for many years, vendors collected several bags of chilli and all the varieties for free in disguise of inspecting the quality before purchasing the produce from farmers. As a result, the farmers suffered losses. “While the tradition started with good intentions, eventually, vendors used it as a scapegoat and started looting huge amounts of chilli from farmers. So, we banned this tradition to benefit the farmers. As the season is soon to start in a couple of months, we will ensure that farmers get their rightful profits and prevent exploitation”, he added.