Make Tobacco Licence Holders' Names Public: Growers

02/23/2009

MYSORE: Karnataka State Tobacco Growers Welfare Committee of Hunsur has appealed the district administration to allow all the growers to auction their produce grown in 2008-09 in the tobacco board market. Alleging corruption in the administration of the board since decades, committee president Govindaiah claimed that there are over thousands of illegal licence holders operating in Mysore region. Many who possess licences are not actual residents of particular place, he claimed quoting a case wherein a person has obtained a licence from a Periyapatna village whereas actually he is native of Andhra Pradesh. There are many such cases but officials concerned have colluded with such persons thus depriving genuine growers in the district, Govindaiah alleged and said many growers are paying commissions to them to sell their produce. "We have been protesting against it since a week and deputy commissioner Manivannan has convened a meeting on Wednesday. Hence we appeal the DC to take a decision to make public the names of all tobacco licence holders at their respective villages to prevent irregularity besides allowing the growers to sell the harvest in the market", he said. They also demanded to extend facilities to the growers on the lines of Andhra Pradesh tobacco growers. Enditem