HYDERABAD: Appealing to Left parties to fight against the Centre on crop procurement, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday alleged that the Union government was not procuring even 30% of the harvested produce.
“It is only the state government that is procuring every grain cultivated by farmers,” he said.
He insisted that apart from announcing the Minimum Support Price (MSP), the Centre was doing little to procure paddy, maize and other crops.
Delegations of the CPM, led by state secretary John Wesley, and the CPI, led by state secretary and MLA Kunamneni Sambashiva Rao, met the chief minister at the Secretariat. The leaders discussed paddy procurement, the Musi rejuvenation project and education reforms aimed at providing quality education to poorer sections.
The chief minister informed the delegations that there was a shortage of hamalis due to elections in West Bengal. He also said that prevailing heatwave conditions were affecting procurement operations.
Revanth said the state government was continuously reviewing procurement operations. He added that the government was providing a Rs 500 bonus per quintal for fine variety paddy, along with MSP for maize, to support farmers.
The chief minister also briefed the Left leaders on relief measures being provided to families displaced under the Musi Riverfront Development Project.
He said houses were being sanctioned to those displaced and claimed the project would transform the riverfront into a world-class tourist destination while creating employment opportunities for local youth.
He criticised the BRS and BJP for politicising the Musi project. The Left leaders were also informed about pollution-related problems faced by people in Nalgonda district due to the Musi river.
“My objective is to provide a quality life to the citizens of the city,” he said.
The meeting also discussed recent initiatives to strengthen the education system. Revanth said his government was overhauling the education sector to provide quality education to poor students. He said initiatives such as nutritious breakfasts, mid-day meals and the establishment of Telangana Public Schools were part of the reforms. He also suggested that Left party leaders visit the Arutla Public School.