Telangana Irrigation and Marketing Minister T Harish Rao today directed officials to give better prices in two days to the farmers who sold maize at the Shadnagar market.
Inspecting a market yard at Shadnagar with officials, he expressed concern at the failure of the officials to make payments in time.
The minister got furious when he came to know that only Rs 66 lakhs was paid against maize worth Rs 4.83 crores procured from the farmers. He pulled up the officials for the delay on the spot and sought to know what they were doing. He then ordered action against the marketing, cooperative and Markfed staff for the negligence after an immediate inquiry being conducted. He also ordered for the increment of the market committee secretary to be cut. He further warned of serious action if the officials failed to make all due payments to the farmers in just three days.
The minister also started a purchase centre for red gram and laid the foundation for Rs 4 crores worth of development works at the market. "So far we have started 111 red gram purchase centres, and procured maize worth Rs 284 crores," he said.