KHAMMAM: The general body meeting of Khammam zilla parishad on Monday witnessed the wrath of opposition ZPTCs over the selling of spurious chilli and cotton seeds by the seed companies.
As soon as the meeting commenced, ZPTCs belonging to the Congress, CPM and CPI (ML) New Democracy demanded Rs 1 lakh compensation per acre to the farmers whose crops were lost due to spurious seeds.
Chairperson Gadipalli Kavita rejected the proposal by members of opposition parties. She said the government had already announced compensation to be given to the farmers.
The agitated members did not yield to her appeal and insisted for a unanimous resolution by zilla parishad. Opposition ZPTCs brought damaged cotton and chilli plants to the meeting and displayed it.
Congress ZPTC Paranjyothi Rao and Mudigonda ZPTC Bullet Babu demanded the government to pay compensation to the farmers immediately. Paranjyothi Rao said, “The Zilla Parishad’s unanimous resolution is a must to help the farmers who lost their crops with the spurious seeds.”
At one stage, New Democracy ZPTC Chandra Aruna explained the condition of the farmers after they lost lakhs of rupees in buying the seeds and sowing it in the fields. “I would not move an inch from here if the zilla parishad does not agree for a unanimous resolution,” she said.
She urged the government to allow the members make a unanimous resolution on it. She sat in front of the podium and raised slogans for it. CPM ZPTCs Satyana-rayana Murthy and Banothu Konda extended support to the proposal.
CPI ZPTC Jiauddin said the chilli and cotton crops in thousands of acres were damaged due to spurious seeds. “The government should announce '1 lakh compensation per acre immediately,” he said.
Considering the wrath of opposition ZPTCs, zilla parishad chairperson G Kavita and Khammam MLA Ajay Kumar discussed the matter and agreed to a unanimous resolution over the issue.
