Bhatti’s failure to review procurement issues in his constituency irks farmers

Farmers in Khammam expressed disappointment after Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka reportedly did not review paddy and maize procurement issues during his district visit. Farmer groups raised concerns over delayed payments, pending stock lifting and fears of crop damage due to rains.

Khammam: Even as the farming community was under distress in Khammam, Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka failed to pay attention to the issue during his official review meeting held here on Wednesday.

He held a meeting with district Collector Divakara TS, Commissioner of Police Sunil Dutt, Additional Collector P Sreeja and others. The meeting was confined to reviewing Gurukul and welfare residential educational institutions. Minister Seethakka, who was supposed to accompany the Deputy Chief Minister during his district tour, did not turn up.

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Vikramarka directed officials to carry out a study of residential schools where seats had not been fully filled and identify the reasons and resolve the issues immediately. As the next academic year would begin on June 12, all residential educational institutions must be fully prepared.

However, the Deputy Chief Minister did not inquire about the status of paddy and maize procurement in the district, especially in the Madhira constituency. It may be noted that farmers in Chintakani and other mandals in the constituency have frequently been taking to the streets over procurement and transportation issues.

It was sad that maize farmers in erstwhile Khammam had not yet received a single rupee for the produce they sold and around 20 per cent of maize stocks were yet to be lifted, but Vikramarka failed to look into the matter, said Telangana Rythu Sangham leader Bonthu Rambabu.

As the district minister, Vikramarka should have enquired with officials about the procurement status and directed them to speed up the process as farmers were worried about the possibility of unseasonal rains damaging the produce. As the Finance Minister, he should have also given clarity on the pending Rs 700 crore to be paid to maize farmers, he noted.

Police recently booked cases against three farmers in Chintakani for protesting against the delay in transporting weighed maize stocks. As the MLA representing Madhira constituency, the Deputy Chief Minister should have responded to the issue as well as the plight of farmers, said farmer Ponugoti Ratnakar, who was among those booked by police.