• Investment World
• eWorld
• Catalyst
• Mentor
• Life
• Canvas
• Praxis
• Urban Pulse
• Brand Quest

Our Bureau

VISAKHAPATNAM, Oct. 24

JAGGERY traders in Andhra Pradesh have intensified their agitation in protest against "indiscriminate'' raids by the Excise Department on sales of black jaggery on the ground that it was being used for manufacture of illicit liquid.

The jaggery traders and farmers observed a bandh in Anakapalle, the country's second biggest jaggery producing centre, on Thursday, as part of their drive to intensify the agitation.

The Joint Action Committee (JAC), which is spearheading the agitation by traders, farmers, `sub-partners' and workers involved in the production, movement and sale of jaggery, organised a rasta roko at Nehru Chowk and later at a meeting resolved to further intensify the strike.

The former Congress (I) Lok Sabha member, Mr Konathala Ramakrishna, who is leading the agitation, told Business Line that the next course of action would involve a `rail roko' programme on October 26, meeting of jaggery farmers in 10 sugarcane-growing mandals of the district from October 27-29 and padayatra from Anakapalle to Visakhapatnam on November 1 for picketing the Collectorate the following day. Jaggery sales in Anakapalle town continue to remain suspended since October 16, despite the recent offer by the State Government to have the jaggery procured directly from the farmers by Markfed.

The traders and farmers have expressed dissatisfaction over the offer, demanding unconditional lifting of the ban on the sale of black jaggery.

Said Mr Ramakrishna, "It's absurd to have the Markfed procure jaggery. Markfed is a sick organisation and is listed among the 29 organisations marked for closure by 2003 in the G.O. issued in August last.''

Purchase of jaggery has been suspended in the other major jaggery trade centres in Andhra Pradesh, including, Kamareddy and Chittoor.

The traders have questioned Markfed's expertise in jaggery trade.

"What would Markfed do with the black jaggery as even the Government had failed to spell out the purpose for which it would be acquired?'' a trader asked.

According to trade sources, farmers feared that Markfed would not be able to lift the entire quantity of jaggery produced and ensure remunerative prices for their produce.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail
Comment on this article to BLFeedback@thehindu.co.in

Stories in this Section
Commodity futures meet to focus on global issues

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line