Telangana Govt should purchase chilli from farmers: Congress

Hyderabad: The main opposition Congress today demanded that Telangana government should purchase chilli from farmers who have been agitating against lack of remunerative price for the produce.

Referring to unidentified persons vandalising the chilli market office at Khammam, opposition leader K Jana Reddy said the incident was unfortunate, and it was time the government took steps for providing relief to the farmers.

Jana Reddy said the Andhra Pradesh government was offering a bonus of Rs 1,500 to farmers and the Telangana government should also pay a bonus of about Rs 2,000.

Tension prevailed in the Khammam Agricultural Market Yard today after some unidentified persons damaged its office and torched the chilli stock, police said.

Farmers had brought chilli to the market yard hoping to sell the produce for a better price. However, after the prices dipped below the expected levels they started agitating, said police.

Meanwhile, Congress MLC P Sudhakar Reddy took objection to the comments made by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao against Congress leaders at a TRS meeting in Warangal yesterday.

Congress should stay away from one-day meeting of Telangana legislature on Sunday in protest, he said.

The legislature has been convened to take up amendments suggested by the Centre to the land acquisition act passed by the legislature in December.