KARIMNAGAR: Vexed with the inordinate delay in the commencement of paddy procurement, a group of farmers climbed atop a water tank at Indurthi in Chigurumamidi mandal, Karimnagar district, on Thursday. The ryots alleged that though they brought their produce to the purchase centres about 15 days back, the authorities haven’t commenced the procurement process yet.
Meanwhile, it appears as if the issue is snowballing into a major controversy, as farmers organised protests at various places across the erstwhile Karimnagar district on Thursday. At Avunur village in Mustabad mandal, Rajanna-Sircilla district, a group of ryots staged a stir alleging that the Primary Agriculture Cooperative Society (PACS) authorities have not even opened the local procurement centre yet.
They also pointed out that the officials were delaying the procurement process citing high moisture content. In the meantime, the Jilla Aikya Vedika farmers have decided to hold a maha rally on Friday. Speaking to the media, Vedika president Pannala Tirupati Reddy requested the ryots to join the protest in large numbers and make it a grand success. He also pointed out that the rice millers were cheating gullible farmers by removing at least six kilograms from each bag of paddy stating that it contained too much dust.