Taking serious note of the farmers' agitation in Nizamabad which led to firing in air, the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy asked the AP State Seeds Development Corporation to raise the required bank loan and take over the stocks of fodder jowar seeds available in the district in consultation with district collector. The farmers launched an agitation protesting against non-payment of dues by Seed Company. The company promised to lift 5.11 lakh tonnes of fodder jowar and lifted 2 lakh tonnes so far. The non-payment of dues to farmers led to agitation and police firing in the air. The energy minister, Mr Mohd Ali Shabbir, alleged that the political rivals were trying to create trouble unable to tolerate the success of the Congress in the recent bypolls. "The trouble is the handiwork of political rivals,' he charged. Asked why police lathicharged and opened fire despite strict instructions by the CM, he parried the question saying, "Mr Home Minister was monitoring the situation.'