HYDERABAD: A lasting solution to the problem of procurement of Rabi paddy from Telangana remained elusive even after the state Ministers discussed the issue with Union Consumers and Food and Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal in Delhi on Thursday.After the meeting, Goyal termed the TRS government as “Kisan Virodhi Sarkar” for “misleading” the farmers of Telangana that the Union government was not procuring the paddy from the state.
State Agriculture Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy said that Goyal did not give any specific assurance on procuring entire Rabi paddy and declared that the future course of action would be decided by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao shortly.
During the meeting, the TRS delegation wanted the Centre to procure entire Rabi paddy from the state. However, Goyal told them that the Centre would procure the rice from the state as per the MoU. He also made it clear that the Centre would procure only raw rice.
The TRS delegation insisted that the Centre procure paddy like in Punjab and Haryana instead of raw rice or parboiled rice. As there was no solution to the problem, Niranjan Reddy said that the matter would be discussed by the State Cabinet, which would decide the future course of action.
Speaking to reporters in Delhi after the meeting, Goyal alleged that the TRS government was carrying out a propaganda among farmers that the Centre was not procuring rice from TS. “It’s a Kisan Virodhi Sarkar in Telangana,” the Union Minister alleged.
Whatever the excess rice, after the consumption in the state, would be procured by the FCI, which would decide whether to should go to the central pool or not, he said.Goyal said that the FCI would procure raw rice from Telangana and there was no discrimination against the state.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal recalled that in 2014-15, the FCI procured rice worth `6,210 crore from Telangana and it was increased to `26,610 crore in 2020-21 KMS. The Union Minister said that the Centre had convened two meetings on February 25 and again on March 8 with State governments and sought information in a specific format about how much raw rice they would give to the FCI.
“TS government officials did not attend the two meetings. They did not specify the quantity of rice they were going to give to us. But, some people are politicising the rice procurement issue in Telangana and are blaming the Central government,” Goyal alleged.Speaking to reporters later, Agriculture Minister Niranjan Reddy alleged that Goyal acted in an “arrogant” manner. This is not the way the Centre should deal with states, he said.
Niranjan Reddy said that the Union Minister “sang the old chorus” and there was nothing new in his statement. “It’s ridiculous that the Union Minister say that TRS government is anti-farmer,” Niranjan Reddy said, pointing out that, in fact, it was the Modi government which was anti-farmer, as it threw them onto the streets by enacting anti-farmer laws.
“We have constructed irrigation projects, provided free power and releasing Rythu Bandhu subsidy. How can you say TRS government is not pro-farmer?,” he asked. It was the duty of the Central government to procure entire paddy from the State as per the Constitution, he said.
Goyal: TRS misleading TS farmers
Union Minister alleges that the ‘anti-farmer’ Telangana administration is misleading farmers by spreading propaganda that the Union government is not procuring paddy from the State
Niranjan counters Goyal barbs
Niranjan Reddy counters Goyal’s charges by pointing out that the TRS government has constructed irrigation projects, provided free power and is releasing Rythu Bandhu subsidy for farmers
Centre held meetings
Goyal said that the Centre had convened two meetings with States and sought infor-mation about how much raw rice they would give to the FCI