Signature campaign launched

Khammam: Representatives of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) launched a ‘signature campaign’ programme demanding that the government provide Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the subabul and eucalyptus to farmers here in 33rd division of Khammam on Wednesday. Speaking on the occasion, city secretary of the CPM Y Vikram said in about 10 lakh acres of land, the farmers cultivated subabul and eucalyptus trees across the district.

The government and ITC, instead of paying Rs 4,600 per one tonne to farmers by purchasing directly from them, was encouraging middlemen who were looting innocent farmers and were paying only Rs 2,600 per one tonne to farmers, he alleged.

Earlier, subabul and eucalyptus planters used to get Rs 5,000 per on tonne but after introducing middlemen, it had been fallen drastically to 50 percent, he pointed out. Due to several agitations by people’s organisations and subabul farmers, the neighbouring State of Andhra Pradesh was purchasing the produce directly from planters by issuing GO No 31 and the amount was credited directly to the bank account of the farmers, he reminded.

Demanding that the government issue the same G O here and purchase the produce directly from farmers, the ‘signature campaign’ was organised, he said. CPM leaders Narra Ramesh, Talluri Ramu, K Gurumurthy, B Venkata Kumar, D Veerababu, Pakurthy Vasu, S K Baby, Ramana, Vijayamma and Yadagiri were present along with others.