Farmers staged protest over MSP to turmeric

Karimnagar: Hundreds of farmers staged a rasta roko on the Jagtial-Karimnagar state highway and in front of the collectorate demanding hike in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of turmeric in the district on Monday. Farmer Hanumanthu attempted suicide by jumping into the Sriram Sagar Flood Flow Canal (SRSP) in protest against the alleged negligence by the concerned officials to address their problems. 

They took out a rally from the collectorate and reached the SRSP canal in TR Nagar and  blocked the Jagtial-Karimnagar highway.   Traffic came to a halt resulting in a huge traffic jam. Farmers also staged a rasta roko on NH-63 and in front of the agriculture market yard in Metpalli demanding that the state and Central governments establish the Turmeric Board and give MSP Rs 15,000 for turmeric.

On the other hand in Karimnagar district, farmers of Gangadhara mandal  stated a protest on the main road demanding that the state government provide water to the Narayanapur project.

Farmers also staged rasta roko on NH 63 at Mamidipally in Armoor on Monday demanding MSP for turmeric and red jowar. Farmers sat on the NH and raised slogans. They also conducted vanta varpu (community lunch) programme on the NH

Farmer leaders said, “We are unable to recover our investments from the crops”. To rescue the farmers, the government should initiate market intervention programme, they urged. Police in large numbers were deployed in Armoor.