Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) A. Revanth Reddy has alleged that both BJP Government at Centre and TRS Government in the State are trying to gain politically with paddy procurement issue and it was nothing but escaping from their responsibility.
Speaking to reporters at New Delhi on Tuesday along with G. Chinna Reddy and others, Mr. Revanth Reddy said: “It was the responsibility of both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to address the problems of farmers. Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao wrote a death sentence to farmers by giving a letter to the Centre in 2021 stating that Telangana would not supply parboiled rice.”
Stating that the farmers had cultivated paddy in 40 lakh acres which yields about 80 lakh quintals of rice, Mr. Revanth Reddy said that about 30 lakh quintals required for local consumption while ₹10,000 crore was required to procure the remaining paddy. He said that State would get a revenue of ₹12,000 crore by selling the paddy to the Food Corporation of India (FCI).
“Middlemen are buying paddy for less than minimum support price (MSP) and the government has been not acting against them. Why is it not registering cases millers and middlemen?” asked Mr. Revanth Reddy adding that the TPCC is going to organise ‘Collectrorates Muttadi’ on April 6 followed by protest at ‘Vidyuth Soudha’ on April 7.
The TPCC president wondered why the TRS president gave call for protest on April 11 when Parliament sessions are going to close on April 8 itself. He also wanted to know why the Chief Minister and TRS MPs were not seeking appointment of Prime Minister.