Farmers stage dharna over 'spurious' pesticides

By Our Staff Reporter

CUDDAPAH, DEC. 9. Several farmers staged a dharna for over six hours in front of a few fertiliser shops near the bus stand in Khajipet town from Saturday afternoon, demanding penal action against the shopkeepers who, they alleged, were selling spurious pesticides. The farmers began the dharna in front of the shops after a pesticide company representative verified empty bags of the fertiliser, Bavistan, brought by two farmers, and confirmed that they were spurious. They complained to the police and the MRO and launched a dharna in front of the shops to prevent shifting of the spurious pesticide stocks to other places.

A farmer, Mr. Krishna Reddy of Thudumuladinne village in Khajipet mandal, had purchased pesticides worth Rs. 80,000, including Bavistan, from Sri Rama Fertilisers, a shop belonging to Mr. Ramachandra Reddy, a couple of months ago. Mr. Krishna Reddy's brother, who cultivated his land, used the pesticides but could not get rid of the pests affecting the paddy crop.

Meanwhile, Mr. Krishna Reddy's brother chanced upon a brochure of the pesticide, Bavistan, and found it to be different from the pesticide of the same name purchased and used in their fields. Then Mr. Krishna Reddy and his brother came to Khajipet with the brochure and an empty bag of Bavistan pesticide and questioned Mr. Ramachandra Reddy about the genuineness of the pesticide sold by him. The pesticide company representative, Mr. Narendra, who was present in the shop at the time, verified the empty bag and confirmed that it was a spurious pesticide. The two farmers raised a hue and cry alleging that they were duped after spending Rs. 80,000 on buying pesticides. This attracted the attention of many farmers nearby, who joined the brothers, and all of them went to Khajipet police station and lodged a complaint with the Sub-Inspector, Mr. Sudhakar. The groups of ryots later went in procession to the office of the Mandal Revenue Officer, Mr. Muniraju, and complained to him. The nodal officer, Mrs. Lalana Kumari, who was around, had contacted the mandal agricultural officer, Mr. Wilson, who was at Cuddapah, and directed him to rush to Khajipet, for examining and certifying the authenticity of the pesticide, Bavistan.

Meanwhile, the farmers continued to squat in dharna in front of the fertiliser shops in the area in a bid to prevent any attempts by the shop-keepers to shift the spurious pesticide stocks, if any, to another place.

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Section  : Southern States
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