Low prices: Turmeric farmers stage rasta roko in Telangana’s Metpally

Vehicular traffic on NH-63 came to a standstill as they refused to withdraw protest till they got a clear assurance from the government

JAGTIAL: Turmeric farmers on Tuesday staged a rasta roko at the Metpally old bus stand demanding minimum support price for their crop.

Vehicular traffic on National Highway 63 came to a standstill for a while as the agitating farmers refused to withdraw their protest till they got a clear assurance from the government.

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In the wake of a steep decline in the price of turmeric, the Rythu Joint Action Committee (JAC) had given a ‘Chalo Metpally’ call to register their protest.

As part of the call, farmers from the three districts of Jagtial, Nizamabad, and Nirmal gathered in the town. Later, they took out a rally from the Metpalli market yard to the old bus stand where they staged the rasta roko.

They demanded that the State and Central governments provide Rs 15,000 as MSP for turmeric under the market intervention scheme (MIS) and purchase the crop directly from farmers by establishing procurement centres.

They wanted the government to identify traders who were deliberately reducing the price by forming a syndicate and registering criminal cases besides canceling their licenses.

During an election meeting in Warangal, the Congress party had promised to provide MSP to turmeric, they said and demanded that the State government implement its Warangal declaration immediately.

The farmers withdrew their protest after getting an assurance from RDO Srinivas, who visited the spot and received representation from them.

Farmers from Metpalli, Korutla, Mallapur, Ibrahimpatnam, Kathalapur, Medipalli and Jagtial of Jagtial district, Kammarpally, Ergatla of Nizamabad and Khanapur, Laxmanachanda, and Mamada mandals of Nirmal district participated in the protest.