Andhra Pradesh

Farmers stage ’rasta roko’ on NH-9

Sangareddy: Hundreds of farmers staged a ‘rasta roko’ on the National Highway-9 near Sadasivapet for more than three hours on Wednesday demanding distribution of fertilizers.

The farmers who were assured by the administration on Tuesday that fertilizers would arrive at the Sadasivapet market yard today promptly reached the yard early in the morning.

Their patience ran out when they found out that there were no stocks in the yard. In an instant reaction they sat on the highway in front of the market yard and raised slogans against the government. Meanwhile, local leaders of all the political parties except the Congress reached the spot and announced solidarity with the farmers. They also joined the rasta roko.

With the agitators refusing to budge, traffic on the Hyderabad-Mumbai section came to a grinding halt. Vehicles on the either side of Sadasivapet town remained standstill for almost three hours. Travellers from Maharashtra and Karnataka were also put to trouble due to the ‘rasta roko’. However, neither the police nor the revenue officials tried to use force fearing trouble.

A senior police official confided that using force on farmers would be a distant possibility after the Armoor incident.

The police arrived at the scene but without even a lathi.

It was only after the revenue officials convinced the farmers that no decision could be taken in the absence of the district Collector they agreed to vacate the highway.

Mahabubnagar Correspondent writes: Police foiled the attempt of BJP activists to besiege the Collectorate here on Wednesday in protest against the failure of government in supplying fertilizer and seed to farmers for kharif.

Over 500 BJP activists and farmers led by N. Indrasena Reddy, BJP State secretary Ashok Yadav, district unit president K. Yadagiri Reddy, secretary K. Ramulu and other district leaders came in bullock carts in a rally from the BJP office to Collectorate to lay a siege to it.

When some activists tried to gatecrash in to Collectorate, police resorted to lathicharge in which over 17 BJP workers sustained injuries. Police arrested over 100 workers and released them later on personal bonds.

Earlier, Mr. Indrasena Reddy assailed the Congress government for failing to arrange the required quantity of fertilizer and seed for farmers in the district.

Adilabad Staff Reporter writes: Activists of the BJP Kisan Morcha and farmers from surrounding mandals staged ‘rasta rokos’. The farmers blocked the NH 7 first near Punjab Chowk for about 30 minutes disturbing highway traffic. The relented when Agriculture Department officials assured them of proper supply of fertilizers.

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