A fire at the Agriculture Department office premises in Jogipet, Sangareddy district, destroyed agricultural equipment supplied under subsidy schemes, farmer applications and other official records late on Saturday night, prompting a police investigation into the cause of the blaze.
Residents of New Baba Colony noticed flames coming from the premises and alerted fire and police personnel. Firefighters reached the site and began efforts to control the fire, but access to the godown was initially blocked because the structure was locked.
To enter the affected section, firefighters used a JCB to break open part of the wall. They then entered the premises and brought the blaze under control. The report did not specify whether anyone was injured or provide an estimate of the financial value of the equipment and records destroyed.
Among the material reportedly lost were agricultural equipment distributed through subsidy schemes. The fire also destroyed applications linked to the Rythu Bhima and Rythu Bharosa programmes, along with other official documents kept at the office.
The destruction of the applications and records could affect the department’s ability to access or process documents connected with farmer welfare schemes, although the report did not state whether duplicate or digital copies were available. It also did not identify the number of applicants whose records may have been affected.
Jogipet police registered a case after the incident and began an investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire. No cause had been established in the report, and authorities had not announced any findings on whether the blaze resulted from an electrical fault, an accident or another circumstance.
The next steps will depend on the police investigation and the Agriculture Department’s assessment of the damaged equipment, applications and official records. Further details on the cause of the fire and the process for restoring or verifying the affected documents were not immediately available.
