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Time of India
an hour ago
- Business
- Time of India
Against the grain: Spurious seeds and middlemen trigger debt crisis in Telangana's Gadwal; farmers lose land
JOGULAMBA GADWAL: As if India's known reasons for farm distress of dependence on erratic rainfall, shrinking farm holdings, lack of organised credit and unexpected collapse in the prices were not enough, there is now an addition to the list - spurious and substandard seeds. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Cottonseed farmers that TOI spoke to in Telangana's Jogulamba Gadwal district allege that middlemen are virtually triggering a debt crisis by first lending money to buy seed from them. These seeds are often substandard in quality, causing the crop to fail. Using this vulnerable situation, the middlemen then force farmers to transfer their lands to them as repayment for the loan. In one instance, the Wadde family of three brothers had borrowed Rs 8.15 lakh for cottonseed farming. When the crop failed because of substandard seeds, the middleman forced them into transferring their seven acres to him. In turn, the middleman sold the land and pocketed over Rs 1 crore. While the Waddes have already lost their ancestral land, many other families are under similar pressure to give up their farms. Their loans range between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 5 lakh, mostly taken from the middlemen to start seed cultivation. Farmers demand action against seed companies & middlemen for losses Brothers Wadde Parasuramudu, Ramudu, and Lakshman from Bingidoddi village, alleged that the middleman, also known as 'organiser' in Telangana, refused to take the borrowed money back, even when the family was able to arrange for the cash. The issue came to light when TOI visited their village while investigating growing instances of the supply of spurious seeds in Gadwal and other parts of the state. The farmers in the region had approached the Telangana Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Commission against the middlemen and seed companies, seeking compensation for the huge losses they had suffered because of the substandard seeds. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "All I know is seed farming," a teary-eyed Parasuramudu, aged 38, told TOI. "I have been doing this since I was 18. To cultivate the land, we borrowed some money from the organiser and blindly trusted him. And now, we have lost everything." His mother, 80-year-old Balamma, said, "Our farm is hardly 1.5 km away, but my sons are forced to work as labourers now. We are not even allowed to enter the land." The family alleged they were cheated and had nowhere to go. They are also fighting a case filed against them for threatening and trespassing for trying to enter the land, which they believe still belongs to them. Other farmers told TOI that spurious seeds had been supplied to them for years now. But the losses were exceptionally high this year, forcing them to approach district officials and the commission. "I was told that my produce failed quality tests and the company refused to take the produce," said K Anjaneyulu from Maldakal village, adding that he even raised the issue with the district officials. "I don't understand how I can be blamed as the seed is supplied by the seed company. Now, my organiser is pressuring me either to return the money or register my two-acre land in his name." Another farmer, Balla Hanumanu, who also worked as a sub-organiser, said that he lost nine acres to another middleman. Kuruva Vijay Kumar, BRS leader, who raised the seed farmers' issue with govt officials, said many farmers in Gadwal lost their lands to middlemen. "Companies give money to middlemen to lend to farmers at zero interest. However, this money is extended to farmers for interest and pushing them into debt. Using these debts as an excuse, middlemen are snatching away farmers' lands," he said. "We received many complaints from farmers, who lost their lands to middlemen, after borrowing money for cultivation, pesticides, or fertilisers on interest," said KVN Reddy, a member of the commission, adding that they are trying to make seed companies pay farmers.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Shefali Jariwala had once revealed why she did not work much after 'Kanta laga'
(You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel In a tragic event, Shefali Jariwala , known for her stint in Bigg Boss 13 and the popular song Kanta Laga , passed away aged 42 on Friday night. According to a TOI report, she suffered from a cardiac arrest and could not be saved even after beig rushed to the hospital by her husband and three rose to fame with the iconic music video 'Kanta Laga' and later appeared on reality TV. She also featured in Salman Khan's ' Mujhse Shaadi Karogi .' However, she did not feature in a lot of projects post the 2002 music an interview with TOI in 2021, Shefali had revealed that she had an epilepsy seizure at the age of 15. Opening up about her mental health at the time, she had said, "I rember I had tremendous pressure to do well in my studies. Stress and anxiety could lead to seizures. It is inter-related, you could get a seizure due to depression and vice versa. I have got seizures in classroom, during backstage, on roads and somewhere that lowered my self-esteem," she had said that this was the reason she could not take up much work after 'kanta laga,' adding that she suffered with it for 15 years and she could not predict when the next seizure would was known for her outspoken personality and strong presence on social media. Over the years, she also became an advocate for mental health awareness and women's empowerment.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Global disorder: No rules, all war
Rashmee Roshan Lall is based in London and writes on international affairs From Iran to Gaza to Ukraine, a pattern of unchecked conflict is bypassing law and diplomacy, taking the world towards a dangerous new normal Someone recently likened the current condition of our bombed and bloodied world to the 'Warring States period', a centuries-long era in ancient China that was marked by the brutal logic of zero-sum politics and unremitting violence. The term may be an eminently good fit. 'Wars happen because the ones who start them think they can win,' Margaret Atwood wrote 30 years ago, in her bleak, beautiful poem The Loneliness of the Military Historian. Read the full story on the TOI+. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
19-year-old falls off moped avoiding slippery patch in Wadgaon Budruk, run over by truck
1 2 3 Pune: A 19-year-old final-year city college student, whose moped skidded while trying to avoid a waterlogged patch on Ganesh Colony Road in Wadgaon Budruk, fell on the road and died after coming under the rear wheels of a truck. The accident occurred around 1.30pm on Thursday, after which the truck driver fled the spot. Sinhagad Road police identified the deceased as Saee Shrikant Bhagwat. Assistant inspector Sameer Kakade of the Sinhagad Road police told TOI, "The victim was returning to her home in Bhansali Campus near Wadgaon police chowkey after attending classes when the accident occurred. The empty goods truck was initially plying in front of her moped till it slowed down before hitting a speed breaker. At this juncture, she overtook the heavy vehicle and immediately moved to the left side." You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune Kakade added, "As she moved leftwards, she attempted to avoid a patch filled with drainage water. In the process, her moped skidded and she fell towards her right side, only to come under the rear wheels of the same truck that caught up from behind." Saee's mother is a teacher in junior college in Erandwane, while her father is from pharmaceutical background and has completed his PhD. Saee's maternal uncle, Amey Ghate, told TOI, "Saee was an avid theatre artist. While pursuing her BA degree from SP College, she actively took part in the well-known inter-collegiate drama competitions, Purushottam Karandak and Firodiya Karandak. She also acted in a few commercial dramas and was a very lively person in our family. " Ghate added that apart from studies and performing arts, Saee was an avid animal lover. "She used to feed stray dogs and cats in her area and take care of them," he said. Citing eyewitness accounts, Kakade further said the truck had also moved to the left after the victim's moped came in front of it. Following the accident, the truck driver sensed trouble and fled the spot, abandoning the heavy vehicle. "Based on a complaint by the victim's mother, Deepshri Bhagwat, we have registered a case of causing death due to negligence under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) as well as relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act against the truck driver. We are searching for him," the officer said. The police have impounded the truck and will get it inspected by a technical expert from the regional transport office (RTO). Based on its registration number, a police team is tracing its owner and the driver. Sassoon General Hospital, in an advance postmortem report, certified head injury as the cause of the victim's death, Kakade said. Toddler hit by mini-truck dies in Khadki A one-and-a-half-year-old girl, Aiza Shaikh, died after being hit by a mini-truck in Khadki on Thursday afternoon. The girl's parents are daily wage workers residing at the workers' colony near the military area, the police said. "Aiza, her elder sister and a few children of other workers were playing on the road, and their mothers were chatting nearby when the accident occurred," senior police inspector Dilip Phulpagare of the Khadki police told TOI. The cleaner of the mini-truck had spotted the children and alerted their mothers that the vehicle was being reversed as they were to leave the spot. "After turning, when the mini-truck started moving, the driver did not notice the girl. She came under the rear wheels of the truck and died. We have registered a case and given a notice to the driver (44), who is from Kunjirwadi," Phulpagare added. Pune: A 19-year-old final-year city college student, whose moped skidded while trying to avoid a waterlogged patch on Ganesh Colony Road in Wadgaon Budruk, fell on the road and died after coming under the rear wheels of a truck. The accident occurred around 1.30pm on Thursday, after which the truck driver fled the spot. Sinhagad Road police identified the deceased as Saee Shrikant Bhagwat. Assistant inspector Sameer Kakade of the Sinhagad Road police told TOI, "The victim was returning to her home in Bhansali Campus near Wadgaon police chowkey after attending classes when the accident occurred. The empty goods truck was initially plying in front of her moped till it slowed down before hitting a speed breaker. At this juncture, she overtook the heavy vehicle and immediately moved to the left side." Kakade added, "As she moved leftwards, she attempted to avoid a patch filled with drainage water. In the process, her moped skidded and she fell towards her right side, only to come under the rear wheels of the same truck that caught up from behind." Saee's mother is a teacher in junior college in Erandwane, while her father is from pharmaceutical background and has completed his PhD. Saee's maternal uncle, Amey Ghate, told TOI, "Saee was an avid theatre artist. While pursuing her BA degree from SP College, she actively took part in the well-known inter-collegiate drama competitions, Purushottam Karandak and Firodiya Karandak. She also acted in a few commercial dramas and was a very lively person in our family. " Ghate added that apart from studies and performing arts, Saee was an avid animal lover. "She used to feed stray dogs and cats in her area and take care of them," he said. Citing eyewitness accounts, Kakade further said the truck had also moved to the left after the victim's moped came in front of it. Following the accident, the truck driver sensed trouble and fled the spot, abandoning the heavy vehicle. "Based on a complaint by the victim's mother, Deepshri Bhagwat, we have registered a case of causing death due to negligence under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) as well as relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act against the truck driver. We are searching for him," the officer said. The police have impounded the truck and will get it inspected by a technical expert from the regional transport office (RTO). Based on its registration number, a police team is tracing its owner and the driver. Sassoon General Hospital, in an advance postmortem report, certified head injury as the cause of the victim's death, Kakade said. Toddler hit by mini-truck dies in Khadki A one-and-a-half-year-old girl, Aiza Shaikh, died after being hit by a mini-truck in Khadki on Thursday afternoon. The girl's parents are daily wage workers residing at the workers' colony near the military area, the police said. "Aiza, her elder sister and a few children of other workers were playing on the road, and their mothers were chatting nearby when the accident occurred," senior police inspector Dilip Phulpagare of the Khadki police told TOI. The cleaner of the mini-truck had spotted the children and alerted their mothers that the vehicle was being reversed as they were to leave the spot. "After turning, when the mini-truck started moving, the driver did not notice the girl. She came under the rear wheels of the truck and died. We have registered a case and given a notice to the driver (44), who is from Kunjirwadi," Phulpagare added.
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Soiled clothes, tied hands, inmates locked in rooms: Shocker at Noida old-age home
Noida: Clothes stained with excreta, soiled bedspreads, several inmates with hands or feet tied, and some without clothes. At least 40 men and women – most in their 70s and 80s, left there by their families – have been living in inhuman conditions in the squalid interiors of a privately run old-age home, a surprise inspection on Thursday night by the UP women's commission found. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Running out of Sector 55 since 1989, Anand Niketan Vridh Sewa Ashram is among the city's oldest facilities for the elderly and is operated by a trust. Officials said the home did not have qualified care staff, nor any facilities for timely medical aid, and was run by a handful of caretakers. Women's commission member Meenakshi Bharala told TOI on Friday she decided to visit the old age home after a video of a woman sitting on the floor of the old age home with her hands tied was brought to her notice. "The video was also sent to mahila ayog in Lucknow," said Bharala, who was accompanied by ADCP Manisha and officers from the social welfare and probation departments during the inspection. "When we reached, we asked about the woman in the video and were directed to her room. She was lying on a bed that had just a bare mattress. She was clad in dirty clothes and was reeking. She could not even speak to us. The people there told us they had done so because the woman misbehaved," Bharala said. Other inmates also said they were tied up and kept confined to rooms, she added. A man found sitting in just his shorts was asked where his clothes were. He told the inspection team that he was never given any. The woman in the video is a 69-year-old originally from Kerala. She apparently used to be a Reiki healer. TOI is withholding her name to protect her privacy. A prescription with her suggested dated June 4, 2025 showed she was consulting a doctor at a private hospital in Noida. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now No one from her family had turned up at the centre on Friday. She was among three inmates at Anand Niketan who were shifted to a govt shelter in Dankaur. "We checked the premises and found how they were mistreated, mostly kept in dirty rooms and unsanitary conditions with just a mattress. The staff there told us the inmates would hit them and throw soiled clothes at them. But when we interacted with one of the elderly women, she identified herself as a doctor and spoke to us nicely," Bharala said. "We were told the old age home receives food and other items in the form of donations, but rather than sharing it with residents, the staff sell the goods. Quality of food is not good," she added. Bharala also said when they enquired if a doctor was available at the facility, the staff called a nurse, who is a 12th pass. "We asked for individual files of residents, but they had no medical records or information about anyone. It was decided that the social welfare team would relocate people who are in serious condition. The ones who are stable will be moved out after three-four days," Bharala said, adding that during their interaction with the inmates, no one had displayed any violent tendencies, as the Anand Niketan staff claimed. The women's commission, she added, would recommend sealing the facility. Officials said the staff could not produce registration papers for the facility, nor a fire clearance. Bharala said Noida's chief medical officer did not have any knowledge of the facility because it was not a registered one. According to its website, Anand Niketan Vridh Sewa Ashram is run by Jan Kalyan Trust and is a 60-room facility that runs from C block in Sector 55 on land allotted by Noida Authority. The home initially operated from Sector 12. The foundation stone for the Sector 55 building, it says, was laid on July 11, 1993 by social worker and Rajya Sabha member Nirmala Deshpande, while the first phase of the building was inaugurated on Dec 10, 1994 by then social welfare minister Sitaram Kesri. The home's pitiable condition is not evident from outside – several of its rooms are airconditioned, the building's façade and walls are evenly painted, and has a roof overhang to shield it from the sun. Officials said the trust takes a donation of Rs 2.5 lakh, Rs 20,000 security and a monthly fee of Rs10,000-12,000 from the families of each inmate. Trust members, however, said they don't take any donations. Bharala said most of the inmates had agreed to be shifted out of Anand Niketan, barring "one or two women who said they have worked a lot and cannot work anymore", and lashed out at "their children" for leaving the parents to fend for themselves in this condition. "This place was going to be sealed once earlier, but there are many connected people behind it, so it was saved," she said. An elderly man who claimed to be living in Anand Niketan for two years told TOI he did not think the food or the facility were bad, but identified the management as "the problem". "They don't listen to anybody. I give Rs 12,000 to live here. People who give donations when they arrive pay less. Otherwise, the dorms are for Rs 6,000 and people in single rooms pay Rs 2lakh-2.5 lakh. The management randomly makes rules and tells us to follow them. They simply keep imposing things on us," he said. Social welfare officer Nitya Dwivedi said the team had conducted a thorough check of the facility. "We will issue a notice. We checked the food arrangements and the rooms. Some people were locked up in bad condition. They did not have clothes. There was no light or water. One woman seemed intoxicated. she wasn't able to speak," she said. Speaking to TOI, one of the trustees said the old age home was being portrayed differently from reality. "They have shifted the three inmates from here without documentation. They are not even seeking permission from their guardians. The man seen without clothes feels hot and removes them himself. The woman whose hands were tied is suffering from an illness. She came to Anand Niketan just 15-20 days ago. The guardians who came to drop her told us about her condition and cautioned us that she might lock herself inside her room if left alone. The caretaker was wrong to tie up her hands. There are 40 people in Anand Niketan, and you can speak to everyone individually; they will tell you how happy they are," the trustee said.
