VIJAYAWADA: Hundreds of subabul farmers in Andhra Pradesh are in dire straits with the state government not initiating concrete steps to help them recover three-year-old dues amounting to Rs 25 crore.Unable to cope up with the financial strain , the farmers are reportedly selling their cattle to make ends meet.After approaching top government officials and ministers without much success, a group of farmers have decided to go to New Delhi and meet Union urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu and finance minister Arun Jaitley .The farmers have alleged that officials are misleading state ministers which is not helping them recover the dues. According to information, a paper mill from Sirpur Kagaznagar in Telangana picked up stocks worth `25 crore from subabul farmers in Krishna and Prakasam districts in 2013. However, the management abruptly shut the paper mill in 2014. Sources said that more than 5,000 farmers were victims of the lock out. As per rules, the agriculture market yard is the nodal authority which handles the subabul transactions in the state.While the purchase price was fixed by the district collectors, the farmers were supposed to sell stocks to the paper mills only after the respective agriculture market yard gives permission. In fact, the market yard is solely responsible to make payments to the farmers as it takes bank guarantees from the paper mills in accordance to the purchase indents."The marketing department officials took bank guarantee of just `25 lakh in Nandigama and Jaggaiahpet in Krishna district." said BJP Kisan Morchan district president N Jitendra.

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