Vegetable farmers and vendors of Avanigadda and its surrounding villages in Krishna district called on Telugu Desam party chief N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday and narrated their tales of woe. They complained to the former chief minister that those who obtained rights to conduct auctions in gram panchayats were harassing them by extorting more money than the rates fixed by the panchayats.
Stating that vegetable farmers and vendors eke out their livelihood by vending vegetables in the shandies, they complained that the greedy auctioneers were fleecing them. Stating that the middlemen were forcibly collecting Rs 100 for a shop of four square meters without providing basic amenities, they told the TDP chief that their petitions to the district Collector, District Panchayat Officer and gram panchayat secretaries evoked no response and they were being denied justice.
Reminding that he (Chandrababu Naidu) had opened Rythu Bazaars with all facilities during his regime to protect vegetable farmers, petty vendors and consumers from the greedy middlemen, they urged Naidu to bring pressure on the State government to solve their problems. They also pleaded with the former chief minister to get them interest-free loans from the government as poor people were eking out livelihood in the village shandies since more than 100 years.
After a patient hearing, the TDP chief assured them that he would talk to the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary and see that their problems are solved immediately. He also assured the vegetable farmers and vendors that he would constitute a welfare fund for them after the TDP returned to power.
Yarramshetty Sitaramaiah, Yarlagadda Srinivasa Rao, Yarramshetty Murali Krishna, Yakkati Venkateshwara Rao, Mathi Harendra Naidu and Meka Kamaleshwara Rao were among those who called on Naidu in the State TDP office NTR Bhavan at Banjara Hills. (NSS)