Hyderabad: Demanding remunerative prices for chilli, turmeric and red gram farmers who are reeling due to the sharp drop in prices this year, TS TD leaders L. Ramanna and A. Revanth Reddy, along with scores of party cadres staged a dharna at agricultural commissioner’s office at Basheerbagh on Tuesday.

Accusing the government of failing to intervene and help farmers, Mr Revanth Reddy and Mr Ramanna submitted a memorandum to the commissioner. They alleged that the farmers went for commercial crops on the advice of the government, but unfortunately fell victims to a cartel formed by traders. The cartel slashed prices resulting in farmers losing hundred of crores of rupees, the TD leaders said.

Mr Reddy said that the government should have intervened in the market and done justice to farmers, which it failed.

“The CM turned all the farmers this year into beggars. KCR is better at telling tales to people than solving issues,” Mr Reddy said.

Police took the protesters into preventive custody for blocking traffic on the main road.