Hyderabad: Farmers staged a protest at a paddy procurement centre in Telangana’s Karimnagar district on Friday, May 29, alleging inordinate delays in the weighing and procurement of their produce.
The protest took place at the DCMS procurement centre in Chakalivanipalle village of Ganneruvaram mandal, where farmers accused officials of irregularities in the weighing process. Agitated over the delay, some farmers carried weighing machines from the centre to the gram panchayat office in protest.
Videos shared on social media showed farmers alleging that their paddy had remained at the procurement centre for nearly a month without being weighed. One farmer claimed that officials had not allotted serial numbers to paddy stocks and were not following the prescribed procurement procedure.
“The paddy has been lying here for over a month. No serial numbers have been issued and the process is not being followed properly. The situation is only getting worse,” he said.
Farmers also said unseasonal rains were damaging their produce as it remained unattended at procurement centres. They expressed concern that both weighed and unweighed paddy stocks were getting soaked, affecting grain quality and increasing the risk of losses.
The protesters further alleged that officials were giving preferential treatment to certain farmers while delaying procurement for others. They demanded that the paddy be weighed immediately and transported for sale without further delay.
Rains spoil paddy
The protest comes amid mounting concerns over rain damage to paddy stocks across Telangana. On May 25, unseasonal rains accompanied by strong winds affected several districts, including Rajanna Sircilla, Medak and Kamareddy.
In Almaspur village of Yellareddy mandal in Rajanna Sircilla district, rainwater entered threshing yards where paddy was awaiting measurement and procurement. Farmers in Medak and Kamareddy also reported heavy losses after paddy stored in open areas was soaked by rain. Many blamed delays in procurement and inadequate protective arrangements for the damage.
