HYDERABAD: Telangana Chief Secretary, SK Joshi had to face some agitated polyhouse farmers on Wednesday, who demanded from him the subsidy money they were supposed to receive from Telangana government as per a scheme. Joshi was the chief guest for a workshop by the Horticulture department of state government on urban and vertical farming, at the Center of Excellence(Vegetables and Flowers) at Jeedimetla. 

Following speech by the Chief Secretary, some agitated polyhouse farmers from the audience took to the dais to protest alleging irregular disbursal of subsidy money by state government, as part of a State government scheme promising subsidy of 75 percent cost of polyhouse. The polyhouse farmers raised slogans and displayed posters demanding payment of the pending subsidy amount by government. 

They said that they have been running from pillar to post in the Secretariat demanding the same but to no avail. 

“We want a definite answer regarding our funds. Where has our 75 per cent subsidy funds gone?” asked one of the agitating polyhouse farmer Srinivas Reddy, who has an outstanding debt of 10 lakh to be paid to the bank. Another farmer said, “We just want to bring our issues directly to the attention of Chief Secretary so that he can find out where the funds have gone. Many polyhouse farmers are contemplating suicide feeling helpless.”

Speaking to one of the farmers, Joshi assured them that he will look into the matter and try and resolve it at the earliest. After several threats to ending their lives, the farmers allowed Chief Secretary’s vehicle to leave the premises after a verbal assurance. The local area police were also summoned to disperse the crowd.

The first of its kind workshop on urban and vertical farming by Horticulture department was also attended by Agriculture department Principal Secretary C Parthasarathi. About 600 farmers not just from Telangana but from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and also from other states including Kerala and Tamil Nadu attended the event.