KARIMNAGAR/RAJANNA-SIRCILLA: With no proper sheds, drinking water facilities or relief from the harsh summer heat, farmers at procurement centres across the erstwhile Karimnagar district continue to wait beside heaps of paddy and maize, hoping their produce will finally be lifted.
A visit by TNIE to IKP and PACS procurement centres at Chegurthi and Durshed on Sunday revealed harsh conditions, with several farmers leaving temporarily after covering their produce with tarpaulin sheets to escape the heat wave.
Though officials claim that Rabi procurement is being accelerated, farmers tell a different story.
“I brought my paddy to the procurement centre nearly 20 days ago, but the process has still not been completed,” said Rajaiah, a farmer from Chegurthi.
Golle Kistaiah, a farmer from Rekurthi, who brought his paddy to the Karimnagar market yard nearly a week ago, is still waiting to sell his produce.
Several farmers had already packed their produce into gunny bags, but procurement remained stalled for the last two days due to Amavasya and Sunday holidays. Farmers said the shortage of hamali workers, lorries and delays in transportation had further worsened the situation.
District Civil Supplies Manager U Rajanikanth said nearly 1.50 lakh metric tonnes had been procured so far out of 2.10 lakh metric tonnes that arrived at centres, admitting there had been about a week’s delay.
Markfed district manager R Nageshwar said around 1.5 lakh quintals of maize had already been procured and the remaining quantity would be purchased by May 31.
Farmer dies of sunstroke at paddy centre
A 63-year-old man, P Venkateshwarlu, died of sunstroke at a paddy purchase centre in Alamkhanipet village in Warangal on Sunday. According to sources, Venkateshwarlu had been waiting for 16 days to sell his produce. He reached the centre in the morning and collapsed in the afternoon. Others present at the centre rushed him to a local government hospital, where doctors declared him dead. A case has been registered