KTR demands white paper on procurement all Rabi crops

Members of the Visakha Auto Rickshaw Karmika Sangam, affiliated to the CITU, stage a protest at Jagadamba Centre against the hike in petrol and diesel prices, in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday. | Raju Members of the Visakha Auto Rickshaw Karmika Sangam (Workers’ Union), affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), staged a protest rally in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday (May 19, 2026), demanding a rollback of the recent hike in petrol and diesel prices and the provision of fuel at subsidised rates for autorickshaw drivers.The rally began at Jagadamba junction and proceeded to a nearby petrol bunk, where protesters conveyed their demands before returning to the starting point. The protest is part of a wider Statewide agitation being conducted along with the All India Road Transport Workers’ Federation (AIRTWF) and CITU.Speaking to The Hindu, District General Secretary K. Satyanarayana said the fuel price hike had dealt a severe blow to autorickshaw drivers, who, he argued, formed an integral part of the public transport network. “We are the ones who have been involved in public transport on par with RTC. It is a burden for the common man travelling on two-wheelers and cars, but it becomes a bigger burden for auto drivers,” he said.He alleged that the central government had abdicated its responsibility by leaving pricing decisions to oil companies, without prior discussion or parliamentary debate. “Prices were not increased till the election, and once they were done, the central government increased the prices,” he said, urging the State government to step in and push for a rollback.For the second time in a span of five days, prices of petrol and diesel were hiked again on Tuesday (May 19, 2026) by about 90 paise per litre across the country and across all variants.https://t.co/EGFuPqVWZzpic.twitter.com/mBE6Wlxwm7— The Hindu (@the_hindu) May 19, 2026Mr. Satyanarayana said autorickshaw drivers were already struggling from the loss of passenger traffic following the State government’s free bus service for women, and that many could not earn even ₹300 a day. He added that RTO officials reviving old pending cases and recovering dues were compounding their distress.Union President K. Ganesh said the hike had cascading effects on the prices of essential commodities, hurting consumers across the board. The union submitted a formal demand for subsidised fuel rates for autorickshaw drivers. Union leader K.V. Ramana Reddy and others took part in the rally. Published - May 19, 2026 03:50 pm IST

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve led the protest. File | “The agitation, which took place around 10 a.m. at the Jambargaon interchange in Vaijapur tehsil, saw protesters burning tyres on the expressway, blocking the traffic,” an official said.Speaking to reporters, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve, who led the protest, said, "The authorities did not grant permission for our agitation. But we are here to support onion farmers. We want the government to procure the crop at a good rate, and that is our only demand from the agitation."He claimed that onions were being procured at 25 to 50 paisa per kg, which is unfair to farmers. "Onion cultivators are committing suicide. While the Central government has announced a procurement rate of ₹12.35 per kg, no one is purchasing the produce at this rate," Mr. Danve alleged.The police later detained Mr. Danve and the agitators and took them to Vaijapur police station, clearing the blockade on the expressway.Amid the backdrop of falling onion prices, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan last week announced that the Centre will procure the bulb at the rate of ₹12.35 per kg from farmers.The price of the kitchen essential has fallen as exports have been affected owing to the West Asia crisis. Published - May 18, 2026 01:17 pm IST