Tribal Farmers Seek Compensation for Fake Maize Seeds
During a visit to Mulugu, Hussain Naik met local tribal farmers who reported that their crops were decimated after companies supplied them with fake seeds.
Warangal: National ST commission member Jatoth Hussain Naik demanded that tribal farmers in Mulugu district be immediately compensated for major losses on account of counterfeit maize seeds,
During a visit to Mulugu, Hussain Naik met local tribal farmers who reported that their crops were decimated after companies supplied them with fake seeds. "The officials should not delay any longer in compensating those who lost crops due to these substandard seeds," he said.
Hussain Naik further urged that the companies responsible face legal action in the coming days and demanded that the district administration compile a detailed list of affected farmers to ensure that full compensation is provided without further delay.
In a parallel development, the chairman of the Farmer Welfare Commission, Kodanda Reddy, along with other commission members, has submitted a report to state Chief Secretary Shanti Kumari. The report calls for justice for the tribal farmers of Mulugu and urges the government to immediately amend existing seed and agricultural market laws.
The commission has proposed specific changes to the Telangana Agricultural Markets Act and Seed Act, particularly Section 11A, which was amended during the previous BRS government to favour companies. They recommended reinstating provisions from the 2005 Congress-era legislation and imposing stricter regulations on fake seed production and sales, drawing parallels to measures already implemented in Maharashtra. Additionally, the commission suggested renaming the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare.
