Several hundreds of paddy-laden tractors remained stranded on Chillepalli-Musi bridge and on the various routes to Miryalaguda on Monday as police regulated their entry in the wake of glut situation near rice mills.
Meanwhile, farmers staged protests in Miryalaguda. While one demand was requesting officials to allow their paddy stock, which was hit by unseasonal rainfall while in queue Sunday night, the other was against the alleged unfair trade practice by millers. According to farmers from mandals in Suryapet, they did not have any information about crop cutting and regulations for sale of paddy in Miryalaguda. Hundreds of farmers, who turned desperate after their produce was hit by rain, were seen requesting police officers to allow them.
Groups of farmers who sat in protests around Shettipalem also alleged unfair practices by millers through weighment or by offering less than the declared minimum support price of ₹1,940 per quintal.
Pat for police officer
Meanwhile, farmers appreciated Miryalaguda rural police officer Sudheer Kumar for standing with them in the dire situation. Footage of the situation in which Mr. Kumar was seen questioning a rice miller for his alleged malpractice, of paying less than the MSP., and not recording the payment figures, went viral on social media.
The officer who was outspoken about his job and standing for farmers garnered appreciation from police superiors and people.
Meanwhile, Nalgonda police, in an attempt to de-congest the rice mill areas of the tractors to ensure smooth procurement, appealed to farmers to strictly follow a token system. Earlier, it also appealed to them to follow a crop-cutting holiday over the weekend to clear pending vehicle queues near Miryalaguda. On Monday, the police reiterated that only farmers who had collected a token to cut their crop and bring their load will be allowed to mills.
