WARANGAL: Hundreds of farmers are bearing the brunt of lack of facilities at the Enumamula Agriculture Market in Warangal. They claim that the newly appointed chairperson and market authorities have not taken enough measures to make the market more farmer-friendly.
Enumamula is one of the biggest agricultural markets in Asia. Farmers from several parts of northern Telangana and Andhra Pradesh travel all the way here to sell their crop. But more often than not, they find it difficult to find accommodation in the market and surrounding areas. In fact, basic amenities like drinking water supply and washrooms are also inaccessible to them.
Some farmers had even approached the market authorities seeking a solution. Speaking to Express, M Mallikarjun, a farmer from Suryapet, said: “I had brought my cotton produce to the market well before the purchasing season. The traders offered a good price for my crop. I was actually surprised that they were willing to give me this price before the season. The trouble is that they will pay the amount only after selling the crop and it takes them two to three days to deposit the amount into my bank account.”
“When the payment gets delayed, farmers are forced to stay in the waiting rooms of the market. But there are no basic amenities like drinking water supply, bathrooms etc there. The market authorities have set up damaged beds at the waiting rooms for the farmers to sleep on,” said Mallikarjun.
Enumamula Agriculture Market secretary BV Rahul admitted that there was a dearth of facilities in the market. “We have already identified the issues and have prepared a proposal with an estimate of Rs 2.80 crore. The proposals will be submitted for approval,” he said.