Markfed plans to open more chilli centres in Guntur

In a move that will ease congestion in chilli auction yards caused by the massive arrivals of fresh chillies and also to enable the farmers from the district's distant regions, the State Market Federation (Markfed) will open a chilli purchase centre at Sattenapalli soon. This was announced by district collector K Ramakrishna Rao here on Tuesday.

In a meeting with farmers, traders and hamalis (coolies), the district collector also said that the administration was planning to open more chilli purchase centres in the district in the immediate future. The heavy arrivals of fresh chilli crop, up to 1,30,000 tikkis (40 kg bags) per day, create a number of problems at the yard, he said.

He also conveyed to the government the farmers' demand that the purchase rate per quintal of chillies be hiked from the present Rs 2,700 to Rs 3,000. On Tuesday, violence erupted in the mirchi yard here following a chain of events.

Two IAS officers, deputed by the government to oversee auctions, found that the farmers were being given a raw deal in the yard. After consulting the traders, farmers and hamalis, the officials slashed the miscellaneous charges collected from the farmers by traders and commission agents, from Rs 16 per tikki to Rs 6.15 per tikki.

The traders in turn reduced the wages of hamalis. Enraged hamalis had stopped work in the early hours of Tuesday, forcing the yard officials to suspend chilli auctions for the day. This move angered the farmers.

Violent incidents were witnessed at the yard wherein yard office windows were stoned and two two-wheelers set ablaze. Farmers and hamalis blamed each other for the violence.

The situation was later brought under control by the police. The row was finally settled by the district collector by hiking miscellaneous charges to Rs 7.50, after the day-long meeting with representatives of farmers, traders and hamalis.