TS bars entry of AP paddy trucks

Guntur: About 150 trucks loaded with paddy were stopped at checkposts on the inter-state border at Mattapalli and Vadapalli villages Dachepalli checkpost in Palnadu district as the Telangana Government denied their entry despite the truck drivers having valid documents for transport of paddy.

In all, about 51 check posts have been set up by the Telangana state government to stop entry of paddy from Andhra Pradesh into Telangana.

The officials have made it clear that paddy being brought from Andhra Pradesh will not be procured in Telangana. It may be recalled that the Telangana had locked horns with the Centre on paddy procurement and had now finally decided to buy paddy. It also opened centres to buy paddy.

Meanwhile, traders in Andhra Pradesh purchased paddy from local farmers at a lesser rate and were sending it to Telangana mills to make a fast buck. The farmers in AP were selling paddy even at a lesser price because the government was delaying in making payment and they cannot afford to wait that long.

Lorry drivers expressed serious concern for not allowing the AP vehicles into Telangana. They said they had no prior information about the decision of the Telangana Government.

Many consumers in the Telangana prefer BPT variety, 22-variety, 92-variety, and Molakolukulu variety of paddy. Taking the demand into consideration, the Telangana traders are offering better price and make payments immediately. The farmers in Nellore district have been selling paddy stocks in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to get a better price for a long time. Similarly, AP farmers and traders want to sell in Telangana.