Mild tension at ZP meeting in Khammam
The meeting was organised to discuss farmers' issues which includes support price as per an agreement the farmers reached with ITC in 2018, and timely purchase of subabul and eucalyptus wood by the ITC's Paperboards and Specialty Papers Division (ITC-PSPD), Sarapaka in Kothagudem.
Khammam: Mild tension prevailed for sometime at the Zilla Parishad meeting hall in Khammam on Tuesday when BJP leaders staged a protest over issues pertaining to subabul and eucalyptus farmers.
The meeting was organised to discuss farmers’ issues which includes support price as per an agreement the farmers reached with ITC in 2018, and timely purchase of subabul and eucalyptus wood by the ITC’s Paperboards and Specialty Papers Division (ITC-PSPD), Sarapaka in Kothagudem.
The farmers also wanted to do away with the middlemen. The meeting which was scheduled to be held at 11 am did not start till after 1 pm. The farmers who grew impatient demanded that DRO Sirisha summon the ITC officials to commence the meeting.
But the DRO asked the farmers to wait, stating that the ITC representatives would come to the meeting hall only after MP Nama Nageswar Rao and District Collector RV Karnan arrive at the venue. The farmers expressed their ire over the DRO’s suggestion.
District Rythu Bandhu Samithi convener N Venkateswar Rao, in an attempt to pacify the farmers, urged them to be patient like Punjab and Haryana farmers who were fighting for their rights for over a month in New Delhi against the Central Farm Laws.
The BJP district president Galla Satyanarayana, Kisan Morcha State president K Sridhar Reddy and others were peeved with Venkateswar Rao’s remarks. It led to a loud altercation between BJP leaders and Rythu Bandhu Samithi leaders.
The meeting started at around 2.30 pm. MP Nageswara Rao along with Collector and ITC top executive Pandey held discussions with the farmers, who insisted on Rs 4,500 per tonne wood while the company officials said they were already offering a good price of Rs 4,200 per tonne. The meeting continued till late in the evening.
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