Markfed starts black burley tobacco procurement at Parchur

Parchur: The State government has instilled confidence among black burley tobacco farmers by launching tobacco procurement operations through Markfed on Saturday and announcing its commitment to purchase crops until the end of the season. Private companies had been reluctant to participate in procurement, leaving farmers without proper pricing and facing severe hardships. Parchur MLA Yeluri Sambasiva Rao highlighted these challenges to Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Agriculture Minister Kinjarapu Achennaidu, Agriculture Principal Secretary Rajasekhar, and Commissioner Dhilli Rao.
State officials personally assessed the ground-level problems faced by the farmers in a meeting held at the camp office of Yeluri. Following review meetings with various companies that showed no progress, the government escalated the matter, leading to a crucial Cabinet decision for direct government procurement through Markfed. DM of Markfed Karunasri inaugurated the first tobacco procurement center at Parchur AMC Yard, realising the persistent efforts of Parchur MLA Yeluri Sambasiva Rao, who repeatedly brought farmers' difficulties to the government's attention.
The ceremonious sale of operations saw the purchase of 6.40 quintals from farmer Dasi Kiran of Nagulapalem village at Rs 12000 per quintal. The Markfed DM announced plans to establish procurement centers everywhere and purchase from every farmer until the season ends. She said that arrangements are being made intensively to facilitate doorstep procurement. She said that the government is arranging tobacco company experts, procurement equipment, storage warehouses, and additional staff. The timing was considered auspicious for the Saturday launch, as suitable dates were not available on the initially planned June 14-15, she explained.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Scroll.in

21 minutes ago

• Scroll.in

Calcutta HC restraints Bengal from paying monthly stipend to sacked non-teaching staff

The Calcutta High Court on Friday directed the West Bengal government to stop paying monthly stipends to a group of non-teaching staff who had been sacked after the Supreme Court in April found irregularities in the 2016 recruitment process, Live Law reported. On June 9, Justice Amrita Sinha had reserved the judgement in the matter but had stayed the state government's plan to provide monthly stipends of Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 to the persons. In its Friday order, the court reinforced that restriction, prohibiting such payments till at least September 26. Sinha issued the direction on a writ petition challenging the provision of the allowance to the staff whose services had been terminated. The petition was filed by a candidate on the waitlist who was not recruited despite being on the merit list, allegedly due to irregularities in the hiring process. On April 3, the Supreme Court upheld the High Court's April 2024 order terminating the appointment of about 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff by West Bengal's School Service Commission. The bench passed the order after observing that the recruitment process was 'vitiated by manipulation and fraud'. The top court on April 17 permitted 'untainted' teachers to be retained until the end of the academic year or until fresh appointments are made, whichever was earlier. However, it did not grant relief to the non-teaching staff, or Group C and Group D employees, whose appointments were also cancelled. In response, the state government had announced in April that the sacked non-teaching staff would receive a monthly allowance until the Supreme Court delivered a verdict on its review petitions. On Friday, the High Court criticised the state for attempting to financially assist individuals whose employment had been declared fraudulent by the Supreme Court and directed 'tainted' candidates to 'refund any salary/payment received', Live Law reported. By introducing a stipend scheme, the state was undermining the Supreme Court's decision, the High Court observed. 'Once the highest court of the land has decided the issue of illegal appointment conclusively and opined that the appointments were result of fraud, no person who was the beneficiary of a fraudulent act of the statutory authority ought to be provided any support, that too, from the public exchequer,' the court said. The court also instructed the state government to submit its counter-affidavit addressing the petitioners' claims within four weeks, and allowed the petitioners two weeks after that to file their response, PTI reported. In April 2024, the High Court had passed its direction on the termination of the appointments based on the findings of a re-evaluation of the Optical Mark Recognition sheets from the 2016 recruitment examination in the case. The re-evaluation found that the selected teachers had been recruited against blank Optical Mark Recognition sheets.

News18

24 minutes ago

• News18

ED Busts Multinational Terror Funding Network Linked To PFI & SDPI

Last Updated: The operation ran a shadow economy that facilitated the movement of over Rs 62 crore to finance illegal activities, including terror training and mobilising citizens against India The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has uncovered a massive criminal network orchestrated by the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its political arm, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), following a lengthy investigation that exposed their involvement in financing terrorist training, communal unrest, and radicalisation activities across India. According to sources within the ED, the criminal operation ran a shadow economy that facilitated the movement of over Rs 62 crore in illicit funds, which were funnelled through a web of fraudulent financial practices, fake trusts, underground Hawala networks, and a dedicated chain of operatives. The network, with both domestic and international connections, was strategically built to finance illegal activities, including terror training, communal violence, and mobilising citizens against the Indian state. MK Faizy: The Mastermind Behind the Operation At the heart of this extensive conspiracy lies MK Faizy, the National President of SDPI and a member of the National Executive Council (NEC) of PFI. According to the ED investigation, Faizy was the mastermind behind the financial operations of SDPI, playing a pivotal role in orchestrating PFI's underground economy. His position allowed him to mobilise funds both domestically and internationally, especially from Gulf nations such as Qatar and UAE, where a significant portion of the illicit funds originated. Faizy personally oversaw the fundraising efforts, which included cash donations, cadre fees, and money laundering through SDPI's organisational bank accounts. ED sources revealed that Faizy personally handled Rs 15.4 lakh in illicit funds through HDFC Bank, disguising it as legitimate political income. These funds were then redirected to support violent riots, murder plots, and radical training camps, including several notorious terror-linked operations. Faizy's central role within SDPI and his direct involvement in terror financing has led the ED to label him as the primary architect of a sophisticated, transnational terror financing network. Faizy's operations were further bolstered by his close associate Wahidur Rahman, who managed field operations and controlled the actual cash channels used to funnel funds through party sympathisers. Rahman coordinated with various operatives to move illicit money, ensuring its effective use in SDPI's physical operations, including acts of violence and destabilising protests. Rauf Sherif, a crucial player in the network, headed the Campus Front of India (CFI), which is linked to PFI's student front. Sherif played a significant role in channelling funds from abroad through Shafeeque Payeth, a key operator based in Doha. Payeth's operations in the Gulf were integral to the transfer of cash from overseas donors into SDPI's hands. In addition, Ashraf MK and Abdul Razak were pivotal in converting illicit funds into real estate and property, further laundering the money into legitimate assets. The SDPI state units across various regions were also involved in hoarding and laundering the money, acting as crucial storage points for the criminal funds. The investigation also revealed Rasheed and Kunju, two operatives linked to SDPI, who were directly involved in physical crimes funded by SDPI. These individuals were integral to the violent operations on the ground, executing plans for communal violence, and engaging in illegal acts designed to fuel unrest and radicalisation across Indian states. Well-Organised Transnational Conspiracy The case has unravelled a carefully coordinated and expansive network of radicalisation and terror financing, which operated not only through domestic channels but also extended across borders. The SDPI-PFI nexus, through its transnational network, sought to utilise political and civil liberties infrastructure to further their ideological war against the Indian state. They exploited legal avenues, including using their political party status and social activism fronts, to mask their true intentions—funding terrorism and radicalisation efforts. The network used underground hawala networks, illegal cash donations, and fraudulent financial practices to raise money from sympathisers abroad, while simultaneously using the SDPI's political influence to create public disturbances, thereby feeding into their larger goal of sowing discord and instability within the nation. Following the unearthing of this network, the Enforcement Directorate has initiated a series of actions, including freezing accounts, seizing properties linked to illicit transactions, and interrogating key members of PFI and SDPI. The investigation is ongoing, with the ED planning to expand the probe into the wider network of international financiers and operatives involved. Sources close to ED have stated that further arrests and more seizures are expected as the investigation deepens, and international cooperation may be sought to bring to justice those operating from foreign territories, particularly the Gulf countries, which have emerged as key nodes in the funding network. About the Author Manoj Gupta Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18 Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 21, 2025, 12:06 IST

Business Standard

25 minutes ago

• Business Standard

Net direct tax collection dips 1.39% to Rs 4.59 trillion in Apr-Jun

Net direct tax collection so far this fiscal stood at Rs 4.59 trillion, 1.39 per cent lower compared to the mop-up during the corresponding period of last fiscal, as advance tax collections slowed, government data released on Sunday showed. Advance tax collection during April 1-June 19, 2025 grew a meagre 3.87 per cent to Rs 1.56 trillion. In the comparable period in 2024, advance tax collection had recorded an annual growth of 27 per cent. During April 1-June 19, 2025, corporate tax collection witnessed a slowdown at about Rs 1.73 trillion, a decline of over 5 per cent year on year. Non-corporate tax collections, which include mainly personal income tax, however, recorded a slight increase of 0.7 per cent to Rs 2.73 trillion. Securities Transaction Tax (STT) grew 12 per cent to Rs 13,013 crore during the period. Overall, the net direct tax collection kitty stood at about Rs 4.59 trillion during April 1-June 19, 2025, registering a 1.39 per cent dip from Rs 4.65 trillion collected in the corresponding period in 2024. Refund issuances increased by 58 per cent so far this fiscal to Rs 86,385 crore. Gross direct tax collection stood at Rs 5.45 trillion so far this fiscal, logging a growth of 4.86 per cent from the year-ago period. Advance tax collection in corporate tax saw a growth of 5.86 per cent to Rs 1.22 trillion, while non-corporate tax collection dropped 2.68 per cent to Rs 33,928 crore. Overall, advance tax collection grew 3.87 per cent to Rs 1.55 trillion during April 1-June 19, 2025. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)