Farmers from Kamepalli in Khammam gathered to protest at the local Tahsildar and Agriculture Department offices. They were led by Bonthu Rambabu and Duggi Krishna of the Telangana Rythu Sangham. The farmers demanded timely delivery of urea and the issuance of Pattadar passbooks, even for those without formal land records.
Many farmers in Kamepalli have worked the land for generations but still lack official documents, particularly those on assigned and government lands. The protest leaders called for these lands to be regularized under the Bhu Bharati Act and for farmers to receive the necessary paperwork to ease their difficulties.
Without official land records, farmers face challenges in obtaining urea, which is crucial for their crops. The protestors suggested that urea distribution should rely on Aadhaar verification rather than strict land records.
Rambabu criticized the Central government for not importing urea on time and stopping production at local units like Ramagundam Fertilizers, causing a shortage that impacts farmers across Telangana.
The protestors also opposed the removal of the 11% import duty on foreign cotton by the Union Government, which allowed 4 million bales of American cotton into the market. They argued this move has lowered domestic cotton prices, harming local farmers. They called for the duty to be reinstated to safeguard Indian cotton growers.
Farmers further asked revenue officials to review and remove non-eligible lands from restricted lists, issue passbooks to those farming under ‘Saada Bainama’ (unregistered sale agreements), and acknowledge generational cultivators for documentation.
A memorandum with these demands was given to the Deputy Tahsildar. Key figures such as Chintanippu Chalapathi Rao, Injam Nagabhushanam, Badavath Srinivasa Rao, and Rayala Satyanarayana joined the protest.
