The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Farmers demand arrears

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Friday, Jul 03, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Farmers demand arrears

Staff Reporter

Arrears for the paddy procured by IKP, Civil Supplies Department not yet paid
Out of the 308 farmers who sold paddy only 70 farmers receive payment

SANGAREDDY: Even while farmers are getting ready for kharif season, the arrears for the paddy procured by Indira Kranthi Patham (IKP) and Civil Supplies Department have not yet been paid to them.

The officials admit that the arrears need to be paid to the farmers were to the tune of Rs. 7 crore as on July 1.

Though Rs. 2 crore was released by DRDA on Thursday for payment to the farmers it would take at least one week time to reach the farmers as the process needs to be followed.

On the other hand, irate over the delay in payment, farmers at Siddipet recently submitted a memorandum to a buffalo.

Similarly, farmers held rasta roko at Papannapet on Wednesday demanding payment for the paddy purchased by the IKP centre at Narsingi. Scores of farmers arrived at mandal office and sat on the main road there by blocking the traffic.

They alleged that out of the 308 farmers who sold paddy only 70 farmers received payment.

Blame game

Though the IKP centres performed extremely well in procuring paddy from farmers they are not able to make the payments as the amount was not released by the concerned authorities.

In the blame game for responsibility, everyone at the district administration has been pointing at the Food Corporation of India (FCI) for the delay in payment. Even Joint Collector Ram Sankar Naik said that the amount would be paid to the farmers once it was released by the FCI and the payments would be completed by the end of July second week.

None of the four Ministers, J. Geeta Reddy, C Damodar Rajanarasimha, V Sunita Lakshma Reddy and district in-charge Minister D.K. Aruna, seem bothered about the problem.

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