About 189 cases by the Legal Metrology Department against cotton traders for allegedly indulging in malpractices using faulty weighing machines and causing loss to the innocent farmers.
These cases were registered during special raids conducted by the department at market yards across the State on Wednesday and Thursday. During the inspections, authorities found that the traders were receiving excess cotton from farmers in weigh by showing 50 kg of cotton as 49 kg. They were committing this fraud using beam scales that were not stamped by the department.
Some traders were found to be transporting cotton in trucks in excess than shown in bills, Additional Director-General of Police and Controller S. Gopal Reddy told reporters here on Friday. “We will take legal action if the traders commit the same fraud once again,” he warned.
Helpline number
Farmers can lodge complaints on the helpline number 1860-425-3333, email: clm@ap.nic.in and SMS: 94901 65619 if they notice such fraud in the market yards. Twenty one cases were booked in Nalgonda district, 19 in Mahbubnagar, 23 in Nizamabad, 12 in Medak, nine in Adilabad, 27 in Karimnagar, 25 in Warangal, 31 in Khammam, five in East Godavari, three in West Godavari, two in Guntur, seven in Kurnool and five in Kadapa district.