Telangana: PIL seeks direction to govt to purchase paddy
HYDERABAD: A PIL filed by a law student from Hyderabad named B Srikar has sought the High Court’s direction to the Telangana government to purchase paddy from the farmers of the State.The petitioner contended that the Secretary, Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, had convened a meeting with all the State governments on August 17 via video conference on the procurement of paddy during the ensuing Kharif season, during which the State had estimated that it would procure 40 lakh metric tonnes of rice.
Despite the State agreeing to procure 40 lakh metric tonnes of rice this year, it has now gone back on its word, the PIL said.The petitioner further contended that lakhs of farmers had already grown paddy in their fields and had brought their produce to procurement centres only to face the wrath of the purchasers. “Many farmers have died by suicide as their yields weren’t purchased,” the PIL said.