Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Monday ordered officials to invoke ESMA if necessary, against the traders creating problems for farmers in the procurement of paddy.
The CM spoke to the top officials concerned soon after receiving information about the incidents of rice millers creating trouble for the farmers across the state.
The Chief Minister directed the authorities to take stringent action against those creating problems and if necessary, invoke Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) against such traders.
He instructed the officials to take strict action against incidents like cheating, misleading and harassing the farmers during the paddy procurement.
The Chief Minister suggested the district Collectors take appropriate measures to ensure smooth procurement of paddy throughout the state. If any problem arises, the district authorities should contact the higher officials and solve the issues immediately.
Revanth Reddy’s direction came amid reports of farmers staging protests at a few places demanding the purchase of paddy at the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
The farmers alleged that traders had formed a syndicate and were forcing them to sell their produce at cheap prices.
Farmers on Sunday staged a protest by parking their paddy-loaded tractors on the Narketpally-Adhanki State Highway at Vemulapalli in Nalgonda district demanding the purchase of paddy at the MSP.
They alleged that millers were offering only Rs 2,100 to Rs 2,200 per quintal for fine rice varieties instead of the MSP of Rs 2,320 per quintal.
The farmers alleged that paddy procurement at the local procurement Centre continued to be tardy and the stocks moved to the yards were being rejected repeatedly on the pretext that the moisture content was above the permissible levels.
The farmers accused rice millers of forming a syndicate to deceive them by buying paddy at lower prices. They demanded that the government ensure that the rice millers adhere to the MSP and provide immediate relief to the agricultural community.
Senior leader of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and former minister T. Harish Rao has alleged that the state government has failed in its responsibility of timely procurement of paddy from farmers as only a nominal quantity of the grain has been purchased even a month after the commencement of the exercise.
He stated that except for a few virtual meetings on the procurement exercise by Minister for Civil Supplies N. Uttam Kumar Reddy there was no focus on paddy purchases though untimely rains had damaged the harvested crop both at the harvesting platforms and at market yards/procurement centres. As a result, the farmers were forced to sell their produce to traders at Rs 1,700 per quintal against the MSP of Rs 2,800 per quintal (including Rs 500 bonus). He claimed that about 30 per cent of paddy produced was already purchased by traders.
Paddy procurement this year began on March 25. The government has opened 7,171 paddy procurement centres across the state.