HYDERABAD: BJP MP Dharmapuri Arvind has challenged the State government to a discussion on the letter released by Agriculture Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy, regarded as ‘proof’ of the Central government’s refusal to procure paddy in the upcoming Rabi season.
Arvind advised the Agriculture Minister to read the suggestions given by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution on establishing rice bran industries and upgrading the existing rice mills using advanced technology.Clarifying that the Central government had only refused to procure ‘parboiled’ rice, he claimed that it had not said no to procuring raw rice for either the Kharif or Rabi seasons this year.
Arvind asked the State government to furnish details on the State’s marketing strategy and blamed it for failing to establish food processing industries since 2014, despite the Centre offering 20 per cent support.
Citing the TRS’ election manifesto of 2014, wherein it was promised that the party would take up market intervention to assure minimum support price (MSP) to farmers, he sought to know whether the State government had announced bonuses for any crop in all these years.
“You had declared on the floor of the Assembly that you will buy even 2 crore tonne paddy and that you will market it as the Telangana brand and export it. What happened to that promise,” the BJP Parliamentarian asked Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and the State government.