Mysore/Mysuru:  Alleging irregularities at ragi procurement centres established by the Government, former Minister and JD(S) State Working President S.R. Mahesh charged that the centres have been collecting 4 Kg. of extra ragi for every quintal that is procured.

Addressing a press meet here yesterday, Mahesh said ragi procurement centres have been set up at K.R. Nagar, Chunchanakatte and Saligrama in K.R. Nagar Assembly segment, where 60,000 quintals of ragi have been procured. But farmers have suffered a loss of Rs.250 every quintal, he alleged.

Maintaining that the farmers are a distressed lot due to low prices of farm produce, Mahesh claimed that farmers are not getting a fair price not only for ragi, but also for other crops such as Paddy, Tobacco etc., Questioning where have all the transportation cost which has been fixed at Rs. 32 per quintal has gone, he maintained that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seems to have turned a blind eye to all these irregularities. He wondered what were the officials doing when farmers are being cheated and deprived of fair price.

Accusing the officials of Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department of turning a blind eye to the irregularities, Mahesh said the matter was brought to the notice of the Deputy Commissioner, following which the District Administration seems to have awakened and come forward to address the issue.

Urging the Government to offset the losses suffered by farmers, Mahesh asked the Government to put an end to irregularities in transportation. He warned of staging a demonstration when the CM arrives in city.

Commenting on the High Court’s direction to the State Govt. to sanction permission for conducting a probe into the alleged scam in purchase of eco-friendly handbags when Rohini Sindhuri served as Deputy Commissioner of Mysuru, Mahesh while welcoming the HC order, remarked ‘Satyameva Jayathe’. The order has upheld the trust the people have in the country’s judicial system, he added.