HYDERABAD: TRS MPs raised slogans at the Speaker’s podium in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, demanding clarity on paddy procurement from the State. Due to their protests, the Speaker adjourned the House up to 2 pm. When the House resumed business at 3 pm, the Speaker allowed TRS floor leader Nama Nageswara Rao to speak on the issue.
Nageswara Rao said that TRS MPs were ready to speak to Union government officials on paddy procurement. The Centre should make a clear-cut statement on the issue, he demanded. However, even as Nama was speaking, the Speaker cut the mike causing the TRS MPs to resume their agitation and raise slogans against the Central government. The MPs exhibited placards and also demanded Rs 25 lakh ex-gratia to the kin of farmers who died in the farmers’ agitation in north India. At this time, the Speaker adjourned the House for the day.
The TRS MPs gave adjournment motions in both the Houses on paddy procurement. TRS Parliamentary Party leader K Keshava Rao, in his adjournment motion notice, urged for a debate on the grave situation arising in Telangana. The motion stated that lakhs of tonnes of paddy was rotting in the yards due to the non-lifting of grains by the Food Corporation of India (FCI), discriminatory crop procurement policy of the Central government and non-procurement of crop produces from Telangana, particularly Rabi paddy. The TRS also wanted a discussion on unseasonal rains causing irreparable loss to the grains.
In the Lok Sabha, Nama Nageswara Rao gave an adjournment motion notice on ‘National policy on food grains procurement from farmers.’ Speaking to reporters later in Delhi, TRS MPs G Ranjith Reddy and Netakani Venkatesh said they would continue their agitation in the House till the Centre government provided clarity on the issue. In Rajya Sabha, TRS MPs staged a walkout to protest against the suspension of 12 MPs and staged a dharna along with Opposition MPs.
Bandi should convince PM: Jagadish Reddy
In Hyderabad, Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy demanded that BJP State president Bandi Sanjay Kumar should prevail upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi and see to it that the Centre issued a statement on the paddy issue.