Farmers in Raichur, led by members of the Karnataka State Farmers’ Association, staged a protest near the Krishna Bridge on Thursday, disrupting traffic to demand the lifting of restrictions imposed by Telangana on paddy transportation from Karnataka.
The farmers argued that the price disparity between the states had driven them to seek Telangana markets, where paddy fetches Rs. 2,500 per quintal along with an additional Rs. 500 incentive. In contrast, local markets in Raichur offer less than Rs. 2,100 per quintal, creating a significant financial strain.
Chamarasa Malipatil, Honorary President of the association, criticized the enforcement of restrictions at a crucial time when farmers are attempting to sell their harvest. Recent incidents of vehicles carrying paddy being intercepted at the Krishna police station in Telangana have further exacerbated the issue, causing alarm among the farming community.
The protest was led by Prabhakar Patil, President of the Raichur district unit, and Basavaraj Patil, the working president. Other notable members, including Mallanna Gowdur, Mallikarjuna Rao, and Venkatesha, participated in the demonstration. The protesters urged the Telangana government to lift the restrictions and called on the Karnataka government to intervene and resolve the issue promptly to protect farmers’ livelihoods.
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