Turmeric board in Nizamabad finally a reality

Hyderabad:The long-pending demand to set up the National Turmeric Board in Nizamabad is finally a reality. The inaugural ceremony of the board will be on Tuesday and will be presided over by Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal.

Nizamabad MP Dharmapuri Arvind will be in attendance. He congratulated BJP state secretary Palle Ganga Reddy on being appointed as chairperson of the National Turmeric Board.

Arvind on Monday posted on 'X': “This is the most memorable Sankranti gift from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Headquartered in Nizamabad, the national turmeric board is getting inaugurated tomorrow. Thirty seven years of yearning, culminating in a grand jubilation of achievement. Tomorrow is a day to cherish, etch and double down on celebrations, this special Sankranti.”

The ministry of commerce, in its notification, said, “Palle Ganga Reddy is appointed as chairperson, National Turmeric Board under the department of commerce for a period of three years with effect from the date of notification of his appointment or until further orders, whichever is earlier.”

Detailed terms and conditions of appointment of Ganga Reddy will be issued by the plantation division, department of commerce.

PM Modi had made the announcement of setting up the board on October 1, 2023 during his visit to Mahbubnagar for 2023 Assembly elections campaigning. The announcement was made ahead of his public meeting in Nizamabad on October 4, 2023.

Dharmapuri Arvind had long made it his main campaign plank and had made the promise during the 2018 Assembly elections and even issued bond papers to reinforce the party’s commitment to the issue.

Setting up of the board was part of the pledges made to the state ahead of bifurcation. There was speculation recently that the board could be set up in Maharashtra as the state currently produces more turmeric than Telangana.

Farmers in Nizamabad district had burnt copies of the BJP's poll manifesto for Tamil Nadu Assembly polls in 2021 as the party promised to set up the board there. The announcement has finally put all speculations and doubts to rest.

State agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said the state government had made repeated pleas to the Centre about the board and thanked Modi and Goyal for finally setting it up. “This is a long pending demand of the Nizamabad farmers and is becoming a reality now. This is a victory of the farmers of the district,” Nageswara Rao said.