Hyderabad, May 17 (IANS) Union minister for coal and mines G. Kishan Reddy on Sunday slammed the Congress government in Telangana for what he called the delay in paddy procurement from farmers.
Stating that the Telangana government is not bearing even a single rupee burden for the procurement of paddy, he claimed that the Centre itself is footing the bill for every new paisa.
“The Central government provides every single penny required for grain procurement; consequently, not a single rupee of financial burden falls upon the State government. When the Centre bears the entire cost—covering gunny bags, transportation, credit for payments, interest on those loans, and warehouse storage rentals—the State government owes an explanation as to why it is delaying the procurement process,” he told a news conference here.
Telangana currently boasts the highest paddy production in the country. When the Central government has stepped forward to procure paddy, the procurement process must be conducted smoothly, ensuring that farmers face no difficulties whatsoever, he said.
He alleged that it is attempting to deflect the blame for its own negligence onto the Central government and administrative officials.
Kishan Reddy claimed that in several regions, farmers have taken to the streets to stage protests, demanding that the government procure their harvested grain. It remains baffling as to why the State government is failing so miserably today, especially given that the Central government is extending substantial and robust support regarding grain procurement, he said.
The BJP leader stated that the Central government procures both of the major crops grown in Telangana – paddy and cotton. While the Centre procures paddy through the State government machinery, it purchases cotton directly. While the Central Government purchases every last kilogram of cotton without any issues, the state government is displaying negligence regarding grain procurement, he said.
He demanded that all state ministers visit their respective districts, focus their attention on procurement operations, and resolve the difficulties faced by farmers. Their role is not merely to sit in air-conditioned rooms in Hyderabad and hold press conferences, he remarked.
Kishan Reddy pointed out that the Centre is providing a 45-kilogram bag of urea to farmers for just Rs 242, though it incurs an actual cost of Rs 2,500 for every single bag. Despite the recent surge in global fertiliser prices, the Central government has been acting in the best interests of farmers by refraining from increasing the price of urea by even a single rupee for several years now.
The BJP leader also criticised the state government for failing to implement the Fasal Bima Yojana (Crop Insurance Scheme).
He alleged that the farm loan waiver scheme has also not been fully implemented. The government has deceived both agricultural labourers and tenant farmers by failing to honour the assurances made to them. Consequently, hundreds of thousands of farmers have been rendered bank defaulters due to the government’s sheer negligence, he said.
The Central minister said that the Chief Minister and his cabinet ministers appear focused solely on launching counter-attacks against their political opponents, while remaining utterly unable to explain why grain procurement operations are not being conducted smoothly at the grassroots level. Yields have increased once again this season; the government ought to have formulated and implemented a corresponding action plan to accommodate this increased output, he said.
–IANS
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