HYDERABAD: BRS leader and former minister T Harish Rao on Wednesday lashed out at the Congress government for what he described as “gross negligence” towards maize farmers, who are struggling with poor prices and lack of procurement support.
He urged Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to step in immediately and rescue farmers from financial distress. In an open letter to the chief minister, Harish Rao said the government’s inaction reflected “alarming indifference” towards farmers.
“Nearly seven lakh acres have been sown with maize across Telangana this season. The harvest has begun, and farmers are bringing their produce to market yards that are already bursting at the seams. Yet, not a single procurement centre has been set up by the government,” he wrote.
He alleged that in the absence of government procurement, private traders and middlemen were having a field day — buying maize at prices far below the Minimum Support Price (MSP). “While the MSP is `2,400 per quintal and the Congress manifesto promised an additional `330 bonus, neither has been implemented. Farmers are being forced to sell their crop to private buyers for as low as `1,600 per quintal,” Harish Rao said.
He warned that this neglect has pushed maize farmers into deep financial trouble, leaving them at the mercy of traders. He added that the bonus payments promised for the past two years have also not been released.