At least 400 farmers with tractors loaded with paddy were left on the roads in Miryalaguda on Tuesday, as several rice mill owners shut their units in ‘silent protest’ against the administration for seizing a unit, allegedly for violations in procurement.
Hundreds of paddy tractors remained in queues near Venkatadripalem, as doors were shut upon farmers who were waiting for a token for procurement since Monday. Although local police controlled the delicate situation, confusion and disorder prevailed till leaders and officials responded, and held talks with mill owners in the afternoon. Several farmers organised into groups and took to sloganeering against the government and the rice millers, and leaders of political parties joined the protests in solidarity with them.
According to Nalgonda police, Balaji Rice Mill at Yadgarpalli in Miryalaguda was cheating farmers by buying paddy at ₹ 1,720 and ₹ 1,740 per quintal, whereas the minimum support price was ₹ 1,888 for the same quantity. “Fraudulent practices such as short weighing, offering less price and the like will invite severe action,” the police stated, seizing the rice mill on Monday. For the protesting farmers, millers were short-weighing their produce by several kilograms per bag and the price offered by some millers was only around ₹ 1,500 per quintal.
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In view of the explosive situation, District Collector Prashant J Patil, along with Superintendent of Police A.V. Ranganath, called an urgent meeting with rice millers. Mr. Patil reiterated that it was for officials, millers and businesses to ensure MSP for farmers. Teams comprising police, revenue, civil supplies and task force units will intensify raids, and seizures would continue in case of violations, he said.
In an earlier meeting, on October 31, millers were also instructed to pay not less than ₹ 1,800 per quintal, even in cases where paddy has defects and fails to meet the best of parameters. Officials said rice millers should escalate matters requiring attention to the administration, but not resort to delaying procurement. Police officials also suggested mill owners to issue tokens to farmers, based on its intake capacity, to avoid traffic congestion and better manage the procurement process.