Guntur: Farmers staged a ‘rasta roko’ on Old Madras Road in Pedanandipadu mandal on Tuesday demanding that the government set up tobacco purchasing centres to purchase black burley tobacco immediately. They said though they have requested MLA B Ramanjaneyulu over their requirement he neglected it.

Tobacco purchasing centres were set up in neighbouring Assembly constituencies. In spite of this, local MLA did not take any initiative to set up procurement centres for purchasing black burley tobacco.

They demanded the government to purchase black burley tobacco immediately from the farmers and warned that if the government did not set up tobacco purchasing centres, they would intensify their agitation. When the farmers staged the ‘rasta roko,’ vehicles were stranded on both sides of the road. Police pacified the farmers.