NIZAMABAD: The followers of Nizamabad BJP MP D Arvind and those of TRS MLA A Jeevan Reddy on Friday tried to disrupt a meeting attended by Union Minister for Food Processing Harsimrat Kaur Badal in Lakkampally in Nizamabad district for the inauguration of an agro-food park.
The TRS workers raised slogans demanding location of turmeric board, obviously with an intent to embarrass Arvind as he fought and won Lok Sabha elections, mainly by promising that he would get turmeric board as soon as he was elected while those of the BJP tried to boo them down.
The trouble started as soon as the meeting began with the supporters of TRS MLA from Armuru questioning him and the Union Minister as to when they would get turmeric board for Nizamabad.
The demand is touchy since the district has a number of turmeric farmers who have been seeking the establishment of the board. In fact, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter K Kavitha lost the Lok Sabha election to Arvind from Nizamabad since she could not get the turmeric board during her term.
As the TRS workers continued to create trouble, Kaur tried to pacify them saying that it was not an occasion for political sloganeering as she was there to inaugurate a food park, but for a long time, her pleas fell on deaf ears. They also raised slogans in support of KCR and Kavitha. Not to be outdone, BJP activists also raised slogan ‘Bharath Matha Ki Jai’ and in support of PM Narendra Modi and Arvind.
Though Arvind and Jeevan Reddy asked their activists not to create trouble, they continued shouting slogans till the end of the meeting. In the din itself, Arvind urged the state government to help develop agro-industries in the district. Jeevan Reddy explained the State government efforts in regard to industrial promotion.
Harsimrat Kaur said that the Centre’s aim was to double the farmer’s income by 2022, after inaugurating Smart Agro Food Park set up with an estimate of `108 crore in an area of 78 acres in Lakkampally village.
She has said that the Centre would be encouraging set up Mega Food Parks and the farmers are eligible for subsidies up to `50 crore, apart from this every unit will get `5 crore subsidy in the Food Park.
She has said that if any farmer was ready to develop Food Park in 10 acres they will provide `5 crore as subsidy. The Smart Agro Food Park which she inaugurated will provide employment to 5,000 people and indirect employment to 25,000 farmers. “If Telangana government moves ahead with the establishment of food processing industries, we will provide required assistance,” the Union minister said. She added that the main purpose of the food processing industry was to strengthen the agriculture sector by providing technical support as well as create employment opportunities locally.