It is a known fact that the poor farmers of the State are facing innumerable problems due to spurious and sub-standard seeds being floated in the market which is going unchecked by the authorities concerned, resulting in crop failure besides over burdened debts and some farmers even taking extreme steps of committing suicides.

Sri C. Vidya Sagar, a Post-Graduate in M.Sc.(Agriculture) in Plant Physiology, having come up from the lowest rung technical cadre of field level post of Seed Certification Officer to the highest cadre of the post of Director, APSSCA, has gained vast knowledge and practical experience in SEED subject during his total tenure of 30 years of dedicated service rendered in Andhra Pradesh State Seed Certification Agency, Hyderabad in different capacities viz. Seed Certification Officer, Senior Seed Certification Officer, Dy. Director/Chief Seed Certification Officer, Joint Director and finally as Director, APSSCA.

While in service, he has keenly observed the innumerable problems encountered by the farmers of the State mainly owing to sub-standard and spurious seed made available in the market. Out of deep concern towards the suffering farmers, though sincere attempts were made through various representations in different capacities viz. as President, General Secretary of APSSCA Employees Union, as Joint Director, APSSCA and as Director, APSSCA during his tenure in APSSCA, submitted to the authorities concerned, providing suggestions and solutions to overcome the problems, for ensuring supply of quality seed to the farmers of the State. But the Government, may be out of ignorance or constraints, has done nothing to implement the suggestions nor come to the rescue of the farmers in distress.

It is a fact that if we fail to supply quality seed, all inputs like fertilizer, pesticides and management will go as waste. The prosperity of country’s agriculture therefore mainly depends upon the quality seed made available to the farming community. But unfortunately, during the past few years, certain flaws are existing both in production and distribution of seeds and also in regulation of Seed Law Enforcement. This has resulted in disgruntlement and even abandonment of valuable lives of the farmers leading to several suicide deaths. Though the reasons for such happenings are multifold but still production and supply of poor quality and sub-standard seeds to the farmers is one of the causes.

As the matters were becoming serious and seed standards were getting deteriorated and effecting the economy and prosperity of the farmers of the State, Sri C. Vidya Sagar made several representations to the authorities concerned providing suggestions and solutions to encounter the problems, but nothing has been done for implementing the same.

The Government, having watched his performance, gave him a much more responsible additional assignment by posting him as Managing Director, APSSDC Ltd. and entrusted the primary task of providing Bt.Cotton Seed for lesser price through APSSDC to compete with the other private traders. He has poured out his heart and soul in the task and left no stone unturned in achieving the goal. But due to collusion of the vested interest with the concerned department, the project was systematically watered down. Consequently paving way for his expulsion by false propaganda.

Though the implementation of the said Govt. program was thwarted, the impact of introducing the program was such that the farmers of the State put together could save crores of rupees since the private seed companies were compelled to sell their Bt. Cotton Seed at the Government fixed price on par with APSSDC. Following the example, the other State viz. Maharashtra and Gujarat followed the same, whereby several farmers could benefit getting the Bt. Cotton Seed at a reasonable price, resulting in cutting off huge profits made by some major seed companies enjoying monopoly in selling Bt. Cotton seed at a reasonable price, resulting in cutting off huge profits made by some major seed companies enjoying monopoly in selling Bt. Cotton Seed at exorbitant rates.

In fact, the sincere efforts in implementing the Government program of ensuring supply of Bt. Cotton Seed through APSSDC at a much lesser price has bought good name and fame to the Government and was talked about by the Hon’ble Chief Minister and Hon’ble Minister for Agriculture during their public meetings. However, the vested interest people, in their efforts to set him aside from the position held, by their commissions and omissions committed several irregularities and caused un-lawful actions in haste, to harm and malign him with all ill-intentions to ensure that I am removed from the position and they did succeed.

Completely dejected and depressed, having victimized for doing good to the farmers for having implemented the program envisaged by the Government, Sri C. Vidya Sagar had no option but to submit his resignation to the Post of Director, APSSCA w.e.f. 23.9.2008, duly submitting the reasons for doing so. The extreme step taken by him has further helped the perpetrators to further harass him publishing adverse news items falsely implicating him as a corrupt officer without establishing an iota of truth and terming his resignation as an act of cowardice.

The inhuman act of demoralizing his name and fame in public in print and electronic media not only hurt him but his entire family bringing untold misery and anguish. As such to prove his innocence, he had no other option but was constrained to withdraw his resignation within the permissible time limit of the notice period, since by then the authorities concerned have neither accepted nor rejected his resignation.

Apprehending that he may be subjected for further harassment and mental torture, he had no other option left but to seek legal asylum by filing a Writ in W.P. No.5390 of 2009, pending before the Hon’ble Court of Judicature in Andhra Pradesh and also filed petition before the A.P. State Human Rights Commission. This has caused enough chaos among the perpetrators, resulting in their taking several unlawful actions and committing irregularities to cover their acts of omissions and commissions.

Even though he was dejected, his long cherished desire and ambition to serve the farming community, without any selfish motive, grew stronger and thus the aims and objectives of SUVIDHA was born.

SUVIDHA (Society with Unique Vision for Integrated Development of Hi-tech Agriculture) is hereby expressly declared to be an NGO, registered under Societies Registration Act, 2001 (Regn. No.713 of 2008) for the benefit of agriculturists at large without any profit motive.

The principal office of the SUVIDHA is situated at 202, Raghava Cottage, Plot No.2, Dwarakapuri Colony, Punjagutta, Hyderabad-500082. The NGO/Society may also carry on its work from any other place or places in India as decided by the Board.