The Hindu Business Line : Girijan Co-operative to get 80,000 quintals of tamarind

THE Girijan Co-operative Corporation is taking steps to procure 80,000 quintals of tamarind from tribals in the State and make it available to consumers at reasonable rates, said Mr A. Vidya Sagar, Managing Director.

He said in an interview on Friday that the State Government had released Rs 3 crore to procure tamarind from agency areas in the State under the Velugu scheme.

The co-operative corporation would spend about Rs 6 crore to procure tamarind from tribals.

"This will hopefully stabilise the market and the commodity will be available to consumers at reasonable rates. The tribals too will get a decent price. The Government has fixed the procurement price at Rs 6 a kg for seeded tamarind and Rs 12 for deseeded tamarind," he said.

Mr Vidya Sagar said a few months ago there was acute scarcity of the commodity and the prices had shot up.

The co-operative had spent Rs 1.5 crore on procuring tamarind from tribals and making it available through its counters in rythu bazaars. It had a stabilising influence on the market and the prices had come down.

The co-operative corporation is selling tamarind pulp at Rs 20 (1 kg pack) in the rythu bazaars. Mr Vidya Sagar said there was also a proposal to supply tamarind to consumers through fair price shops but the State Government would have to take a final decision on it.

Agency bandh: In a related development, Girijans in the agency area of Visakhapatnam district observed a bandh on Friday seeking a hike in the procurement price of tamarind from Rs 6 a kg to Rs 10.

Mr M.V.S. Sarma, District General Secretary of the CPM, alleged that the Girijan Co-operative Corporation was indifferent to the plight of tribals and that there was a need to enhance the procurement prices of various commodities, especially tamarind.

He said the Girijans were facing great difficulties, as the procurement was not brisk and the price not remunerative. He said the CPM would intensify the agitation if the Government did not respond positively to the tribals' pleas.

He condemned the arrests of CPM activists and tribals who were organising the bandh peacefully in the district's agency area.

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