Traffic Hit as Farmers Block NH 44 Over CCI’s Cotton Buying Rules
Farmers and Rythu Sangham leaders blocked the highway near the Bhoraj checkpost
ADILBAD: Farmers under the banner of the Akhila Paksha Samanvaya Committee (excluding the BJP and Congress) staged a rasta roko on NH 44 near Bhoraj on the outskirts of Adilabad town on Friday, demanding that the CCI scrap the grading of cotton ginning factories and lift restrictions on cotton purchases. Hundreds of vehicles were stranded on NH-44 for long distances.
Farmers and Rythu Sangham leaders blocked the highway near the Bhoraj checkpost. Traffic was later cleared by local police after the farmers called off their protest. Some farmers arrived in bullock carts, holding placards highlighting their demands and raising slogans against the state and central governments for neglecting farmers’ interests.
Leaders and Rythu Sanghams of Left parties, New Democracy and other groups participated in the mass rasta roko. Speaking at the protest, former minister Jogu Ramanna alleged that local MLA Payal Shankar and MP Godam Nagesh of the BJP had failed to come to the rescue of distressed farmers or address their problems. He said MLA Payal Shankar was “playing politics with farmers” by meeting central ministers along with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy only after the protests intensified.
He demanded that the CCI remove the cap of seven quintals per acre on cotton purchases and scrap the use of biometrics for selling soya and the Kapas Kisan App.
Left party leaders including Devender (CPI), T. Srinivas (CPI-ML New Democracy), Nandi Ramaiah (Mass Line), and All-Party Rythu Sangam leaders Bandi Dattatri, Vijjagiri Narayana, Konda Ramesh, Govardhan Yadav, Lokari Poshetti, Chiluka Devidas, Kema Laxman, Jagan, Venkatnarayana, Alal Ajay, Yunus Akbani, Sajiddoddin and Lingareddy participated in the rasta roko.