Karnataka Paddy Smuggling Sparks Farmer Outrage in Telangana: Kondapuram IKP Center Locked in Protest
Gadwal: Tension flared among local farmers on Saturday as serious allegations emerged against civil supplies officials, IKP center coordinators, and private agents for allegedly prioritizing illegally transported paddy from Karnataka over locally grown Telangana produce.
Farmers from Kondapuram, Venkatapuram, Eerlabanda, and Yarsandoddi villages expressed their anguish, claiming that the paddy procurement centers in their region have restricted the purchase of local paddy only to select farmers ("Kallas") while rejecting the majority under various pretexts. In a strong show of dissent, Kondapuram farmers locked the IKP (Indira Kranthi Patham) procurement center and launched a protest, demanding accountability and justice.
Key Allegations by Farmers:
Karnataka Paddy Getting Preference: Farmers alleged that IKP center officials and civil supplies personnel, in collusion with millers and middlemen, are secretly transporting large quantities of paddy from the neighboring state of Karnataka during the night. These loads are then being purchased at local Telangana procurement centers, depriving local farmers of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and declared bonus for Telangana-grown paddy.
Political Bias and Corruption: It was claimed that local center managers are indulging in favoritism and political bias, limiting procurement only to selected individuals while denying others by citing reasons such as the non-availability of gunny bags or moisture content in the produce—even when within permissible limits.
Neglect by Authorities: Despite repeated complaints and appeals to higher officials, the farmers said their pleas were ignored. This lack of response has forced them to resort to protest actions, such as locking the procurement center, to bring attention to their plight.
One protesting farmer said, "Our hard-earned crops are being rejected while illegally brought paddy from Karnataka is being accepted and sent to rice mills. What is the motive behind this? Are Telangana farmers being betrayed in their own land?"
Farmers Demand Immediate Action:
The farmers called on district and state-level civil supplies officials to:
Immediately halt the procurement of illegally transported Karnataka paddy,
Ensure the purchase of Telangana paddy with due MSP and bonus,
Provide sufficient gunny bags and remove arbitrary restrictions on moisture content,
Take disciplinary action against corrupt officials and middlemen involved in this racket.
As procurement season continues, such allegations of cross-border grain smuggling and favoritism threaten to erode farmer trust in government-run procurement systems. Local farmers have warned of intensified protests if their issues are not resolved promptly.
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