Irregularities in registration of farmers: Seven marketing secretaries suspended in Telangana

The department initiated a probe into the irregularities when farmer associations lodged a complaint against the officials, alleging that large-scale discrepancies took place in issuance of temporary registrations

Adilabad: Seven secretaries of the Marketing department, including two from erstwhile Adilabad district, were suspended for their alleged role in irregularities in registration of cotton farmers in Warangal region. An order to this effect was issued by the region director Uppala Srinivas on Wednesday.

According to the order, Madhukar Kamble from Adilabad market yard, Ramanjaneyulu of Chennur, P Nirmala (Warangal, Srinivas (Janagama), Parameshwar (Chinna Koduru), Namala Srinivas (Bhadradri Kothagudem) and Prithvi Raj (Peddapalli) were placed under suspension based on a report submitted by the officials, who probed allegations against the secretaries.

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The department initiated a probe into the irregularities when farmer associations lodged a complaint against the officials, alleging that large-scale discrepancies took place in issuance of temporary registrations. The secretaries issue the registrations to farmers enabling them to sell the cotton produce at procurement centres operated by Cotton Corporation of India (CCI).

The officials of the Marketing department reportedly issued the registrations to farmers who don’t grow the cotton by colluding with unauthorised traders of the cotton, duping the CCI. They allegedly accepted huge amounts as commission for doing the favour. Certain officials of the agriculture department were learnt to be under the scanner for their role in the irregularities.