NTB chairman Palle Ganga Reddy and officials are searching for a suitable office space for the board in Nizamabad.
Nizamabad: Turmeric farmers here were disappointed as no funds were marked in the Union Budget for the newly set up National Turmeric Board (NTB) on Saturday.
People of north Telangana, especially turmeric growers hoped sufficient funds will be sanctioned in the Union Budget for the turmeric board, but in vain. Either BJP leadership or Nizamabad MP Arvind Dharmapuri is to blame for giving no clarification in this regard.
After three decades of fight, the Centre set up the National Turmeric Board in Nizamabad. First chairman of the board, Palle Ganga Reddy, assumed charge in New Delhi on January 31 one day before the Union Budget. Of 52 spices in the Spice Board India, the Centre divided turmeric and set up an exclusive board.
The officials from the Spices Board will also be deputed to the Turmeric Board. The process to set up the Turmeric Board office in Nizamabad started. Initially, officials proposed to set up the National Turmeric Board office at Nizamabad rural MLA camp office at Hyderabad road, which has been lying vacant for the last one year. Reportedly, correspondence between the state government and the turmeric board will take more time to materialise it.
In this context, the NTB chairman Palle Ganga Reddy and officials are searching for a suitable office space for the board in Nizamabad. For infrastructure in the office, research, training and marketing strategies, huge funds are required for the board. In the Union Budget, no specific funds were allocated for the turmeric board.
When contacted, BJP leaders said that funds allocated for the ministry of commerce will be allotted for the turmeric board. There is no need to worry about funds to the board, they assured.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle from New Delhi, National Turmeric Board chairman Palle Ganga Reddy said that funds will be released for turmeric board from the ministry of commerce soon.
"We had already met Union finance minister Nirmala Sitaraman in this regard and she told us that all boards will get funds from the ministry, he explained. Makhana Board for Bihar state will come under the ministry of agriculture and for the first time of the board announcement, funds were allocated to it, Ganga Reddy said.
