Subabul farmers lock up ITC officials in room

KHAMMAM: Tension prevailed in subabul lifting centre at Bonakal after farmers locked Bhadrachalam- ITC Paperboards officials in a room demanding the company to issue permit orders (POs) to them in order to directly buy wood and not through agents.

The farmers, led by BJP district secretary Galla Satyanarayana, lay siege to the centre while putting forth their demands to ITC district deputy manager Chinna Raoand Sundar Rao. Heated arguments took place between ITC officials and farmers. Suddenly, the farmers placed them in a room at the lifting centre and locked it.

Galla Satyanarayan said that subabul farmers are suffering a lot in selling their wood due to the wrong policies of ITC.

“Farmers, who are raising other crops, were encouraged to go for subabul by assuring good benefits in it. Later, the company left the farmers to their fate. With this, they are facing problems in selling their produce”, he said.

The BJP leader said that ITC officials change decisions quite often and they are creating problems for farmers.

Police rushed to the spot and convinced the farmers to release the officials. Satyanarayana warned that they will stage stirs if the company failed to change its attitude in lifting wood from farmers.

BJP leaders V Appa Rao and G Nageswara Rao and Kisan morcha leader Ellarao Goud were part of the  stir.