The Hindu 16.09.2010
“Probe Kadapa Mayor’s fertilizer unit”
Special Correspondent
| Opposition demands confiscation of factory following seizure of stock worth Rs. 10 lakh |
Inquiry into transportation of fertilizer to other States sought
Demand for cancellation of licence of Balaji Fertilizers
KADAPA: Seizure of six lorry loads of fertilizer, i.e. 102 tonnes worth about Rs. 9.72 lakh, belonging to Balaji Fertilizers, a mixed fertilizer plant, owned by Kadapa Mayor P. Ravindranath Reddy at Alamkhanpalle near here on Tuesday, triggered off protests by Opposition parties on Wednesday.
CPI functionaries mobbed Collector Shashi Bhushan Kumar at the Collectorate and demanded a judicial inquiry to unearth instances of illegal transportation of fertilizer to other States. Assuring action, the Collector said he directed Joint Director of Agriculture Chinna Narayana to conduct an inquiry and a case was registered.
The CPI functionaries staged dharna before Kadapa Collectorate demanding seizure of the factory and arrest of the Mayor on charges of transporting fertilizer to other States, when farmers in the State were agitating for their supply.
He demanded that the government initiate action against fertilizer dealers who were selling the stocks at higher prices without supplying them to farmers. The government concerned failed in curbing irregularities by fertilizer companies and dealers, Mr. Krishnamurthy alleged.
‘Cancel licence’
Meanwhile, Telugu Rythu State secretary G. Lakshmi Reddy, TDP district general secretary M. Venkataswamy Reddy and Telugu Yuvatha State secretary Redyam Venkatasubba Reddy, at a press conference at the party office here, demanded cancellation of licence of Balaji Fertilizers belonging to the Kadapa Mayor, seizure of the entire fertilizer stocks in the factory and an inquiry into illegal transportation of fertilizer.
PR demand
Praja Rajyam district president B. Hariprasad on Wednesday demanded seizure of Balaji Fertilisers and a comprehensive inquiry into the types of fertilizer manufactured and procurement of raw materials in the unit since inception.
While farmers were agitating in several parts of the State demanding supply of fertilizer and were being lathi-charged by police, fertilizer companies were resorting to irregularities to amass wealth, he alleged at a news conference here.
