Communist Party of India (Marxist) has staged a novel protest resenting lack of minimum support price for tamarind of tribal farmers in Visakhapatnam Agency. CPI (M) State secretary B.V. Raghavulu on Thursday sold tamarind at Rs.30 a kg., the price demanded by tribal people, outside the Seethammadhara Rythu Bazaar in the morning to support their cause.
Addressing the consumers, he said that the market rate was Rs.40 a kg. but the tribal farmers were not even getting Rs.30.
The middlemen benefited in the deal as they purchased tamarind at throw away price and sold it at Rs.60 or even Rs.90. “The Girijan Cooperative Corporation (GCC) also does not buy from the tribal people at the time of harvest and the tribal people are forced to give it to the middlemen.
The GCC would enter the scene much later when there are no stocks and the tribal people don't get remunerative price,” he pointed out.
Agency bandh
Mr. Raghavulu also gave a call to make the proposed bandh in the Agency on March 25 demanding minimum support price for tamarind, a grand success.
CPI (M) district secretary Ch. Narasinga Rao wanted more budgetary allocations for GCC to support the tribal people. State CPI (M) leader Tejeswara Rao also wanted change in the government policy to help the tribal people and eliminate middlemen.
CPI (M) city leaders Sudhakar, Lokanadham, G.S. Rajeswara Rao, Chalapathi, T. Kameswara Rao, Bhagyalakshmi, Prabhavathi and others were present.
