Nonexistent BT -3 cotton seeds hits farmers

Some manufacturers and traders are marketing cotton seeds by branding them as BT-3 ( third generation BT cotton) that have not even been developed  scientifically and are not available in the market.

The spurious seed manufacturers are well aware that farmers are not happy with the BT cotton brands that are available in the market as they failed to  resist pest attack- the recent pink bollworm attack on the cotton was a best example to this.

It’s a surprise that police and district administration have been clueless all these days about the manufacturing of spurious cotton seeds on a big scale in the Karimnagar city itself.

Karimnagar police seized 14 quintals of this  “cotton BT-3”  seeds with market value of Rs 17 lakh and 5000 gunny bags used for their packing during their raids on manufacturing units in Karimnagar town.

Fake seed manufacturers have been taking the advantage of the BT – 3 brand that do not exists, claiming that seeds of this brand are pest resistant and give   high yield.

The fake seed manufacturers have been confident that farmers will purchase  their brand with the hope that the BT- 3 seeds of  better quality than the BT cotton seeds of first generation available in the market now.

This is the first time Karimnagar task force police raided unit manufacturing spurious seeds in the Vinayaknagar colony in the city.

Karimnagar Commissioner V. B Kamalasan Reddy said they will take  stern action against firms manufacturing of spurious seeds and their sale across the state.

It appears that manufacturing of spurious seeds and sale is gaining ground in the north Telangana district as it is easy for the manufacturers to sell them to the gullible farmers in the interior areas.

Recently, Thandur task force police seized spurious cotton seeds worth Rs 1.6 crore in the Mancherial district. These seeds were to be transported to Kumarambheem Asifabad district from Kurnool of Andhra Pradesh. 

Trenches pose threat to school children

Trenches being dug to lay pipelines for Mission Bhagiratha is posing a danger, especially to school- going children and the elderly in the old Adilabad district.

Staff of the private schools are worried about the safety of their students and take care to remain with the kids till their parents receive them, but this not the case with staff of the government schools.   

The laying pipelines is leading to the huge potholes and trenches that are  resulting in accidents where drivers lose balance and fall.  Residents say that they remain clueless about the trenches that are dug overnight with the help of earthmoving machines, and say that this is quite dangerous.

One can see the roads dotted with potholes, trenches and heaps of excavated  gravel on the roads blocking the free flow of traffic and posing life threat to the elders and children.

According to people involved in the pipe laying works, the trenches will be  filled up only after completion  of the  work in that particular stretch.

Students and kids carrying their schools bags were doing acrobats for crossing the trenches to reach safer places. On seeing the indiscriminate digging of roads, the worried parents going to schools to take back their kids safely.     

A parent of school going child K. Ravinder of Vidyanagar colony in Adilabad town said really he was worried over the danger the trenches are posing to the lives of the school going children.

Police adopting latest tech to battle crime

The new facial recognition technology is likely to turn into  a nightmare for criminals and prior offenders when it comes absconding from the Karimnagar commissionerate.

Police are now likely to use facial recognition technology through CCTV cameras. They can then use these to link to photographs of prior offenders.

The  CCTV camera sends alerts to the command control when any of the faces of uploaded on the software have been recognised. This new technology is likely to help police in reducing crime.

Karimnagar Police Commmissioner  V.B Kamalasan Reddy told this newspaper, “CCTV cameras have been set up at various locations and they will capture and send messages to the date base”. He said each CCTV camera  would be the equivalent of 30 police when it comes to controlling crime.

So far, the Karimnagar police commisisonerate has installed 2,500 of the target of 50,000 cameras. The police department has already created a database of offenders and criminals, along with their photographs and thumb and palm impressions.          

“Now image of a single person is being captured in six CC Tv cameras and stored in the data base with the help of the CC Tv cameras set up under the Karimnagar police commissionerate, said Kamalasan Reddy and added that efforts were being to capture the image of a single person in 50 CCTv cameras set up at various places”

The Automatic Finger Printing Identification (AFIS) technology is being used to trace individuals with criminal backgrounds. These devices will work with Russian technology, and the fingerprint experts came from all  the districts had a 10-day training conducted by the experts from the Russia.

The training was at Central Crime Station ( CCS), CID office, Hyderabad and in turn the latter will train the local police in all the districts.

Fingerprint mobile devices and live scanners have been supplied to the district police and these are being used during patrolling , especially at night.

Adivasis reclaim their lands

Adivasis in old Adilabad district have started taking back their lands that were encroached or landed in the possession of Lambadas by ritualistically breaking a coconut on the property. 

There  have been allegations that  the Lambas had taken these  first on the lease but did not return them after expiry of the lease period.

In many places, Lambadas are cultivating the Adivasis lands, though the latter have pattas. 

Revenue officials of Sirikonda mandal told the higher ups that the lands were not in the possession of Lambadas without conducting field inquiry.

Following this, the Adivasis submitted memorandums to the top revenue officers that they would start cultivation in such lands since Lambadas don’t have them in their possession.

As many as 19 Adivasis farmers of Sirikonda mandal submitted a memorandum to the collector requesting her to restore their lands. 

These 19 farmers were from Vagai Thanda, Mutyampet, Lendiguda, Kannaur in Pochampalli gram panchayat  in Sirikonda mandal and 90 acres of land in the possession Lambadas belongs to these 19 Adivasi farmers.

Sidam Maruthi of Pochampalli in Sirikonda mandal said they were going to take back their lands, since they have pattas. With the report submitted by the revenue officials, it was clear that the land owners are Adivasis and not Lambadas. 

Taking the advantage of the  revenue report, Adivasi farmers are going to cultivate their lands.

A Kolam Adivasi Nandu of Pothapalli of Khandala attempted to take back his land 3 acre land which was in the passsession of the Lambada now in Khandala in Adilabad mandal. The Kolam farmer break the coconut in his land as part of ritual of taking back the land.

Monsoon brings spurious seeds

The onset of monsoon not only brings hope of good rains and but also spurious seeds to the interior areas of north Telangana districts.

Farmers start agricultural operation works in April- end or first week May for Kharif; cultivation of cotton area is high in the old Adilabad district.

The total area of cotton cultivation was 5. 70 lakh hectares in the old Adilabad district, nearly 55 percent in the total area for Kharif in 2017.

Spurious seeds, especially cotton, are brought into northTelangana districts from bordering states Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra and Chattisgarh and also from Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. 

Private traders selling fake cotton seeds are target farmers  in the interior village as they lack much knowledge much about the quality  and are unable to discern  between genuine and fake seeds. 

According to police, traders selling spurious cotton seeds revealed that they target illiterate farmers especially Adivasis in the interior areas on the borders in Kumarambheem Asifabad district.

There was a notion among the farmers that purchasing the cotton seeds brought to their door steps by traders was good instead going to nearby towns and purchasing seeds and fertilizers for higher price.

Earlier, spurious seeds were seized in interior areas in Indravelli, Narnoor, Kerameri, Adilabad, Bela, Thamsi mandals sharing borders with Maharashtra.  Some of the private traders even give cotton seed packets to the farmers on credit and collects money after harvesting season.   

The state government has failed to control the sale of fake seeds to reduce the loss to the distressed famers in the state and also to put an end to the transportation of the spurious seeds into north Telangana districts and private traders and their agents in the villages.

Ramagundam police commissioner Vikramjit Duggal said ‘they found that the private traders of spurious seeds transporting spurious cotton seeds into various places in Telangana from Andhra Pradesh for which there was no permission to sell from government and also with fake way bills and under the guise of transporting other goods in vehicles’.

Recently, task force police of Thandur seized 51.50 quintal of  spurious seeds worth Rs 1.6 crore transported to Kumarambheem district from Emmiganur village of Kurnool of Andhra Pradesh. Among the seized spurious seeds, there were Kavya brand seeds packets and lose cotton seeds.

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Pavani now blames some contractors

After making shock revelation about commissions being paid to elected representatives, Sircilla municipal chairperson Samala Pavani said she was  merely  highlighting the complaints of councilors aired during the Municipal budget meeting that took place o March 17.

According to some reports , the elected representatives of the local bodies feel that some contractors, especially those who are close to the ruling party,  are not paying them commissions due to their proximity to higher-ups in the government. 

Some contractors have blamed the MPTC, ZPTC, MPP and ward councilors  for stalling works by demanding their cut in commissions.

A contractor accused a local MPP of stopping the road construction works as he did not pay pay him commission for doing works in his area. It was , however, proved that the contractor himself stopped the work to accuse the MPP of corruption recently in Karimnagar mandal.

During her press conference,  Ms Pavani, who resigned from her chairperson post on Saturday, said only one contractor was doing all works in the civic body and neglecting the ward  councilors.

Though Ms Pavani referred to an unidentified Minister's clearance for taking commissions, she on Sunday claimed that she did not made such comments and her comments were distorted by graphics in the electronic media.

The reference to the minister was taken by some in the media as ahint at municipal administration minister K.T Rama Rao.

Reacting to this, senior Congress leader and defeated MLA K.K Mahender Reddy demanded the Minister for IT and Municipal Administration and Urban Development K.T Rama Rao to resign from the post by taking the moral responsibility for the chairperson’s comments.

Sircilla Municipal budget meeting was in camera meeting and media was not allowed to cover the event and later chairperson briefed to the media about budget proceedings in which they have passed Rs 116.29 core budget for the year 2018-19 the development in the Sircilla Municipality. 

It is estimated that the municipality will get revenue Rs 16 crore from taxes, Rs 100 crore from Government grants, schemes and loans.  

Taking 3% commissions a norm, says Sicilla civic chief

 Samala Pavani

Sircilla municipal chairperson Samala Pavani’s video that even ‘their minister’  told them that there was nothing wrong in taking commission up to 3 percent from the contractors went viral on March 17.  

Late in the night she sent in her resignation to commissioner. In the resignation letter, Ms Pavani said she was resigning on personal grounds and thanked minister   K.T Ramarao for his support. She also thanked the councilors for their support. 

   

Pavani said councilors were not happy though works worth hundreds of crores were on in the Sircilla municipality colonies and contractors were not giving them commissions.

She said, in a lighter vein, at a press conference that it was common to take 1 to 3 percent commission from the contractors as the “media persons knew pretty well”. She was referring drainage and other development works in the colonies in the Sircilla municipality.

However, she did not mention the name of the Minister but just said “our”. She alleged that some of the contractors said councilors were asking them to pay commissions for the works they had done in the colonies in the Sircilla Municipality. 

Giving the commission to the councilors was the “responsibility” of the contractors and they must follow it to compensate the expenditure incurred during the elections, she felt.

Accepting commission was not just happening in the Sircilla Municipality alone, she said and every one of them in the Telangana state was doing so and there was “nothing was new in it”.

Pavani said, her commissions were taken care of by her husband and she was concentrating only on development works and administration and added that she could not say who the contractors should pay to and the percentage.

She admitted that she was one among the many who took commissions from contractors.

Election fever boosts brewing of gudumba

The election fever which has gripped the villages has also boosted the brewing gudumba in villages in old Adilabad district. 

Excise officials say that gudumba brewing is picking up and that they have been conducting regular raids.

Gudumba, the locally brewed liquor is cheap and therefore preferred by the political parties distribute it to their party cadre.

On the other hand, excise officials have intensified raids on the gudmuba brewing places and houses taking the recent rise as a challenge and a prestige issue.   incidents as challenge and prestige and following the incidents of gudumba brewing on the rise in the villages.

Local political leaders encourage gudumba brewing in the villages as elections of local bodies and also general elections are fast approaching and political parties are organising rallies, dharnas and yatras and major public meetings. Serving gudumba to the villagers and their own party cadres earns them goodwill and loyalty.   

The officials have also seized ‘patika’ and jaggery in high quantities from the Kirana shops and godowns in Sirpur (T),  Kautala and Kagaznagar mandals.

These two ingredients used in the making of gudumba.  Recently, officials seized patika being transported illegally in a car in Chennur in Mancherial district. It was being taken for a businessman in Kagaznagar town.

Excise staff raided houses in Lambada thandas in Nennel mandal and arrested few persons on the charges of brewing gudumba in Mancheirial district on March16.

These incidents indicates that Kagazangar town and its surrounding mandals have become centres for selling Patika and Jaggery. 

Illegal transportation of jaggery in Kagaznagar town came to light again recently when officials attempted to seize a lorry loaded with white jiggery coming from the Maharashrtra.Local MLA Koneru Konapppa attempted to attack the excise officer Rakesh and other staff while obstructing their duty, taking the sides with the businessmen.

Excise superintendent of Kumarambheem Asifabad district K. Rajyalaxmi informed that they have registered 8 cases and arrested 12 persons and seized 33 quintals of jaggery and 15 tons of ‘patika’ and 35 liters of Gudumba and 810 liters of jaggery liquid during the raids they have conducted at various places in the Sirpur (T) Assembly Constituency.

Excise officials says that, the whole sale traders have to submit the details of the stocks of jaggery and patika once in a week to the excise officials but the traders do not follow the rules instructed by the state government to put an end to the  brewing of gudumba.      

Farmers' issues in focus as elections are approaching

Farmers problems have got centre stage with every political party started talking much on farmers problems and the welfare measures they have taken for farmers, as elections are fast approaching. 

Some of the organisations planned agitation programmes on the issues.

Prof M. Kodandaram of JAC is also likely to organize Rythu Satyagraha in the Telangana

While BJP is organising Rythu Panpanchayats and Rythu Swarajya Vedika, Rythu Samitis of various organizations will take part in the Rythu Satyagrahas.

The leader of Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSPC) Yogendra Yadav is coordinating with the TJAC and rythu families to organise the events to mount the state and central governments for remunerative prices for the crops and bank loans and loan eligibility certificates to the tenant farmers.

Meanwhile, Rythu Samanvaya Committee leaders on behalf the state government have started reeling out the measures being implemented for the welfare of the farmers

According to sources, Rythu Satyagraha are being organised in Suryapet and Kodad on March 16.

The ruling TRS party leaders came out and claimed that it was the only TRS party which is giving 24 hours free power to the farm sector and we're going to implement Rs 4,000 as investment assistance to the farmers.

It is said independent organisation's agitation on farmers issues and Maharashtra farmer's march to Mumbai bridge the political vacuum for which TRS party chief and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao talking much these days and announcing Third Federal Front.

The farmers agitating on their own or led by some independent organisations disappointed some political parties who wanted to raise the same issues by projecting themselves as national leaders and strengthen their base.

Rythu Swarajya Vedika activist Kondal Reddy said it was tenant farmers who were suffering a lot as they were denied all government benefits including bank loans, crop insurance and compensation for crop damage and crop loan waiver and now financial assistance. He said many farmers problems were linked with the Minimum Support Price (MSP). 

Forest fires kill Flora and Fauna

With the rising temperatures, the incidents of forest wild fires are on the rise in the old Adilabad district. 

Forest fires take place naturally and were also man made sometimes. These forest fires are not only destroying the valuable forest but also affects the flora and fauna and kill the forest animals.

Temperatures are being recorded as high as 35  Degree Celsius much before the onset of the summer unlike last year in the old Adilabad district.

Incidents of forest burning and smoke coming out have become common in the old Adilabad for the last 15 days since temperatures started soaring. 

In some places, forest staff burning piled up dry leaves to prevent forest fires from spreading to neighboring areas.

A senior Forest Rage Officer (FRO) of Adilabad who doesn’t want to reveal his identity said it was difficult for them to put off the forest that took place deep in the forests or on the top of the hills and added that at the most they can create awareness among the people against the forest fires and their effects on the forest and flora and fauna.

One can see forest fires in the night times with huge flames in the bypass road of Nirmal and Mahboobghats, Kerameri ghats and Gandi Mysamma temple area in Kadam mandal in the old area. One can see forest fires along the National High way -44. Smoke emanates from the forests in the daytime after the flames put off naturally after destroying the forest in large areas.

The state government which talks much about the planting trees and protecting them to create 30 percent green cover has no specific measures to prevent forest fires.

The forest staff should burn the piled up dried up leaves especially road said to avoid the danger of passersby thrown the buts of cigarette without putting them off resulted in the forest fires as they catch the fire easily with the dried up leaves.

Rarely forest staff reaches to the place where forest fire takes place on knowing or seeing them in the night time to put off or control the fire from spreading to neighboring places.

The forest department has no specific mechanism to deal with the forest fires, especially during the summer and forest staff, often face difficulty in reaching the interior place where forest fires takes place.

Demand for fruits rises as temperatures soar

With the day time temperatures rising across the state, fruits like watermelon are such in demand. Meanwhile, people living in the interiors are struggling to cope with water shortage.

Adilabad is experiencing day time temperatures between 30° C to 40° C, forcing the people to confine themselves indoors, especially in the afternoons. 

Markets are dotted with the fruits like watermelon, muskmelon, grapes, coconut, sapota, orange and sugarcane and traders are doing brisk business. Middlemen are also making brisk business with the leafy vegetables in the local markets.

Sugarcane juice is the flavor of the season and man care crushing centers have sprung up in Adilabad town. Needless to say, business is good. Farmers have taken to watermelon cultivation in Adilabad and Kumarambheem Asifabad districts and fruit vendors are also importing them from bordering Maharashtra. Water-based fruits are preferred t overcome dehydration, a major cause for worry during the summers.  .

Dr Naitham Sumalatha, MD, a general physician in Adilabad towns said that people must take more liquids and sufficient water to avoid electrolytes imbalance in the body and dehydration caused by hot weather conditions. She said that cotton clothes help in keeping the body cool.

She said that people complain of headache and fall sick with sunstroke when exposed to blistering heat for a sustained period of time.

     

Doctors advised the people to cover the head with cloth for protection against  heatwaves and dehydration and take more water at the regular intervals  to remain hydrated and keep primary medical kits on hand for people working under the hot sun. Students writing their examinations must take extra precautions  to avoid sunstroke and dehydration.

Dalit Shakti chief : Madigas are rulers

Visharadan Maharaj, founder of Dalit Shakti is a man on  a mission; armed with a copy of the Indian Constitution, he wants  to enlighten the Madiga community that they had ruled  this country  over 3,500 years ago under the leadership of the Adi Jambawanth.

This country was first known as 'Jamboo Dweepam.' His pada yatra entered into Jammikunta  of Karimnagar.

Visharadan is doing the pada yatra by holding a copy of Indian constitution. The Pada yatra has been entered into Jammikunta in Karimnagar district.

During his walkathon, Maharaj  offers a turban  to Madiga men and women to make them realise that once  upon a time , they were Maharajas and Maharanis and ruled the country.

Visharadan Maharaj  also explains to the Madiga community people how the constitution  gaves  them rights. 

As part of the padayatra, he  has been changing the names of SC colonies, Harijan wadas,  Dalit wadas into Rajulawada (rulers' colony).

Maharaj also exhorts them to replace caste name Madiga with Maharaj or Maharani so that it reflects their past glory and  also as a  mark of self-respect.

The padayatra will culminate into a meeting in Warangal on  Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14. This yatra was launched in Vanaparthy in Mahaboobnagar district on October 14 last year.

 The organisers of the padayatra  claimed that  they have changed the names if the 250 SC colonies into 'Rajulawadas' 

Speaking to this newspaper, Visharadan Maharaj said he has completed 4, 280 km do far out of total 5.000 yatra and added that Madigas forgot their past glory and that they were once rulers of this country. 

He said  Madigas are Maharajas ( rulers) and sub castes such as Dakkali and Chindu call the Madigas as Maharaja even today and this best example to prove tgst Madigas were once upon a time were rulers of this country.

Visharadan said Madigas were actually Maha- Adigas and reviving their rich culture by enlightening tgdm during Gana Deepa meetings in the night times in the Rajulawadas and explaitong them about their leaders since from Adi  Jambawa, Lord Buddha,  king Ashoka, want Ravidas, want  want Kabir Das, Chatrapati Sahu Maharaj, Shivaji, Jyitirao Phule and BR Ambedkar.

He said so far they have covered 8.40 lakh Madigas out of total 70 lakh directly and indirectly and the present yatra is the first phase and they will cover other sib groups and BC communities in the coming years and his mission of 20 years period was aimed to revive the rich culture of Madigas and taking them out of the cultural poverty.