Telangana Assembly Debates Oil Palm Refineries and Section 22A
Telangana Assembly discusses oil palm cultivation, refinery demand and Section 22A of the registration Act.
The Telangana Assembly on Wednesday took up a short discussion on issues relating to Section 22A of the registration Act, with the debate resuming during the day's sitting.
Earlier, members turned their attention to oil palm cultivation and the processing of its harvest across various districts. Legislators described difficulties faced by growers, including trees growing into overhead high-tension electric wires and the absence of refineries in some districts.
Station Ghanpur MLA Kadiyam Srihari pressed for a palm oil refinery in the erstwhile Warangal district.
Responding to the points raised, Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said a refinery can be established once oil palm is harvested over 10,000 acres. He noted that some MLAs have themselves taken up the cultivation, and said factories would come up when the crop's acreage crosses that threshold.
The Minister said farmers do not face problems relating to monkeys, marketing or export of the crop. Six factories are currently operating, while construction of 14 more is under way, and each unit can be set up within six months, he added.
On the demand for a minimum support price, he said the State has asked the Centre to announce one.