Hyderabad, May 12: Farmers in several parts of erstwhile Nalgonda staged protests on Tuesday by setting fire to paddy stocks, alleging severe delays in procurement and transportation by the Telangana government.
The protests erupted at multiple procurement centres in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri and Nalgonda districts. Farmers accused officials of failing to lift procured grain despite stocks remaining at centres for several weeks.
At the IKP procurement centre in Malappuram village of Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district, angry farmers raised slogans against the Congress government and burnt paddy sacks on the road in protest. They alleged that procurement operations had been delayed for nearly a month, causing heavy losses and uncertainty among farmers.
The protesting farmers demanded immediate intervention from the State government to speed up procurement and transport the stocks to warehouses without further delay.
Farmers Allege Lack Of Transport Facilities
Similar protests were reported from Nakkalapalli village in Nalgonda district, where farmers burnt paddy stocks after alleging negligence by officials in shifting the grain to storage facilities.
Farmers stated that although their produce had already been weighed and certified, transportation was being delayed due to shortage of trucks and poor coordination at procurement centres.
Several farmers expressed frustration over the prolonged delay, saying unseasonal weather and exposure to rain were damaging the paddy stocks kept in open spaces.
The protesters also compared the current situation with the previous BRS government, claiming that paddy procurement was carried out smoothly and regularly during the earlier administration.
The incident has intensified criticism against the State government over procurement management during the ongoing paddy procurement season. Officials are yet to issue a detailed statement on the protests and the allegations made by farmers.
