Mallu Bhatti leads farmers’ protest

Khammam: Congress workers led by the TPCC working president Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka took out a huge rally christened as Ryot Akrandana Yatra, in protest against the State government for its failure to address the issues faced by the farming sector. The tractor rally that commenced at Jamalapuram under Yerrupalem mandal reached the Khammam Collectorate on Saturday evening.Bhatti, addressing farmers along the Yatra, accused the government of turning the State into spurious seed hub. Stating that farmers who spent close to Rs 1 lakh per acre for chilli cultivation were in dire straits, he demanded the government to rescue them with immediate effect.

All the seed companies that supplied must be brought to justice, besides invoking Preventive Detention (PD) Act against the accused,” Bhatti said, demanding the government to strip off Agriculture portfolio from Pocharam Srinivas Reddy.Demanding a stern action against officials who issued licenses to seed companies that were in question, he also pointed out the government’s inaction against the officials of Horticulture and Agriculture Departments for their failure to keep a tab on rampant spurious seed trade in the region.

Time has come for the farmers to decide who is behind Gandhiji’s ideology and who is not,” Bhatti criticised.He urged the government to assess the crop loss incurred by the farmers owing to spurious seed and indifferent rains, and release the compensation to rescue the farming community.Former Minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu dared KCR to come to farmers. Former Minister Vanama Venkateswara Rao, former MLA Rega Kantha Rao, Mahila Wing vice-president Mekala Laxmi, DCC president Aitham Satyam and scores of party activists took part in the demonstration.