HYDERABAD: Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Tuesday said that the Union government’s approach towards paddy procurement was “demonstrative of scant concern for farmers” despite Telangana handling one of the country’s largest grain procurement operations.
In an informal chat with reporters at the Secretariat, Uttam said that the state government was procuring paddy on a scale unmatched by most BJP-ruled states while the Centre was “failing to discharge its responsibility” towards farmers.
The minister said Telangana had already procured nearly 54 lakh tonnes of paddy and was targeting procurement of around 70 lakh tonnes during the ongoing Yasangi season through an extensive network of 8,575 procurement centres spread across the state.
“The entire paddy procured by the state must be lifted by the Centre at the declared Minimum Support Price. The Centre cannot evade its responsibility after announcing MSP,” he said.
Uttam alleged that BJP leaders were indulging in political criticism while ignoring ground realities. “Telangana is purchasing more paddy than several BJP-governed states put together,” he claimed.