Cotton farmers stir in Karimnagar, demand hike in MSP Karimnagar, Oct 25 (INN): Cotton farmers from Karimnagar district on Monday laid siege to the Market yard, demanding a hike in Minimum Support Price of their crop. The cotton farmers gheraoed Market yard chairman Akarapu Bhaskar Reddy and raised slogans against the state government for not increasing minimum support price. The agitating farmers also pelted stones at a State Road Transport Corporation bus and damaged its window panes.
They then staged a sit-in at the market yard, but not before blocking the Karimnagar-Peddapalli National highway by throwing bales of cotton on it. This led to the traffic being disrupted on the highway for more than three hours. According to sources, two cotton growers attempted to end their lives by consuming pesticides.
However, the alert police foiled their attempts and shifted them to Government hospital in Karimnagar. The police took a few farmers in custody and to maintain law and order. The farmers were demanding that the government fix Rs 4,000 as minimum support price for cotton, as compared to the present Rs 3,000 fixed by the Centre.
News Posted: 25 October, 2010
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