Medak Farmers Stage Dharna On NH7

Siddipet Market Yard in the Telangana district of Medak was closed for 2 consecutive days, thereby rousing the ire of the farmers who were waiting outside the market's closed doors with their grain-laden trucks.

Having lost patience, the irate farmers staged a rasta roko on National Highway 7, thereby disrupting the flow of traffic.

The Siddipet police intervened, and convinced the authorities concerned to open the gates of the market yard and allow the entry of the farmers.

Satisfied, the protesting farmers called off their dharna and resumed their efforts to sell their paddy grains at the market yard.

The issue of the lack of storage space at the grain purchase centres across the state, and the failure of the ryots to get the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their produce is a long-standing issue plaguing agriculturists.

Agigated with the lack of response from the government, farmers had burnt their paddy on the streets, and threw bags of grains into water bodies.

Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy had on Saturday requested Union Home Minister P Chidambaram to permit the export of rice grains from the state, and a reply is yet to be received.

Various politicos, including Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) President Chandrababu Naidu, Lok Satta Party (LSP) President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader M Venkaiah Naidu, have recently conducted numerous events to bring the plight of the farmers to the government's notice.