HYDERABAD: Agriculture Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy blasted BJP leaders for politicising paddy procurement in the state, especially during the COVID-19 crisis. Referring to BJP president Bandi Sanjay’s one-day fast in Hyderabad on Friday, the agriculture minister said that Telangana was the only state which was procuring 100 per cent paddy produced by the farmers.
No BJP-ruled state is procuring paddy like that in Telangana, the minister said. Pointing out that the BJP leaders were even politicising crop loss due to hailstorm and rains, Niranjan Reddy alleged that BJP leaders lacked clarity on matters related to agriculture. The minister assured farmers that the discoloured and drenched paddy too would also be procured by the government and farmers need not worry about anything.
He said the state had given permission to open 7,077 paddy procurement centres and 1,027 maize procurement centres in the State. So far, 5,187 paddy centres and 923 maize procurement centres had been opened, he said. The minister advised the BJP leaders to prevail upon the Central government to ensure that a turmeric board is set up in the state. State BJP leaders should ensure that the Centre accords permission to procure all food grains produced in the State with MSP, he added.
Niranjan Reddy said it was the TRS-led government which had instilled confidence in farmers with schemes such as round-the-clock power supply, Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bima. The Central government had copied Rythu Bandhu scheme and implemented Kisan Samman Yojana, the Minister said.
File cases against errant millers: Vemula
Nizamabad: State Roads and Buildings Minister Vemula Prashanth Reddy said if rice millers refuse to buy paddy citing reasons such as presence of husk, officials must register cases against errant millers. Farmers in Rajanna-Sircilla have burnt heaps of paddy alleging that rice millers were paying less money citing wastage in the rice.
Every grain will be procured by govt: Gangula
Karimnagar: A day after farmers set ablaze their paddy produce in Rajanna-Sircilla, Civil Supplies Minister Gangula Kamalakar said farmers need not worry about paddy procurement. Every grain of their produce would be procured by the government, the minister said and added, government would convince rice millers to procure paddy from farmers.