The Union government’s announcement of a regional extension centre of Spices Board in Nizamabad instead of agreeing to the long-cherished dream of a turmeric board has created a major controversy with leaders of the ruling TRS and the BJP trading charges over the issue.
The TRS and farmer organisations have criticised BJP MP D. Arvind for failing to ensure a turmeric board and ₹15,000 per quintal of turmeric. They also pointed to the instance of him executing a personal bond where he said he would quit Parliament if he did not get the turmeric board constituted within five days of his election as MP. The BJP leaders, for their part, maintain that the regional centre is ‘much more’ than a board.
TRS MLA Bajireddy Govardhan has demanded the MP’s resignation since he got elected on the turmeric board factor, but ‘deceived’ farmers eventually.
Of the total 14 lakh metric tonnes of turmeric being produced in the country, 7 lakh tonnes is produced only in the Telugu States and of that, nearly four lakh tonnes in Nizamabad and Jagtial districts alone.
BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav had also promised a turmeric board during his electioneering for the Lok Sabha elections, reminded Mr. Govardhan. “We TRS MLAs under the leadership of ex-MP K. Kavitha had met the Chief Ministers of six States and also Union Ministers on the demand and got their word. We made strenuous efforts to achieve the board. But, unfortunately Ms. Kavitha was defeated in the elections,” he added.
Minister for Roads and Buildings V. Prashanth Reddy sought to know when turmeric farmers in Kerala did not get remunerative prices despite the State having the Spices Board office, how could farmers in Telangana get benefits with a regional extension centre. Spices Board has regional offices in 16 centres across the country, he said and added that such offices exist in Secunderabad for 30 years and Warangal for 20 years.
Nowhere at the regional centres are farmers getting minimum support price, he asserted. Unless a separate turmeric board is set up, turmeric farmers would not get benefit, the Minister pointed out. Meanwhile, AIKMS and other farmers’ associations have also made it clear that nothing short of a turmeric board would be acceptable to them.
