Rescue farmers from middlemen: Congress

Khammam: Congress Deputy Floor Leader in the Council Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy on Wednesday dashed off a letter to Minister for Irrigation, Marketing and Legislative Affairs T Harish Rao to step in to rescue farmers from middlemen.

Earlier, Reddy, who visited the agriculture market yard and interacted with the farmers here, said: “It is worrying that farmers, who toil round the year in food production, end up making less money while middlemen rake in huge profits.”

He said that with government turning a blind eye, the middlemen in connivance with the officials are purchasing the produce at low price and selling them at higher prices at the market.

He demanded that the government ensure remunerative price and save the farmers from the debt-trap. He urged the government to come forward to purchase the red chilli, cotton and red gram got drenched due to untimely rain on Monday night and provide minimum support price to farmers.

Reddy demanded the government to order a probe into the purchases done in the market yard by the vigilance department.

He assured the farmers of raising the issue in the upcoming Council sessions to exert pressure on the state government to ensure fool-proof purchases and payments to farmers.

TPCC official spokesperson Katla Ranga Rao, Youth Congress state secretary Ramisetty Manohar Naidu, Ponguleti Mahender Reddy and Md Fazal were among others who visited the market yard.