Union Minister for Civil Supplies Piyush Goel on Monday said the Centre will purchase paddy (raw rice) during this current agriculture season and the procurement process will continue in Telangana as it happens across the country.
He told a delegation of Telangana BJP leaders led by party president Bandi Sanjay Kumar at his official chambers in New Delhi that the Centre is always ready to help farmers but complained that the TRS government is “unfortunately not cooperating” and is trying “mislead people about procurement.”
The Minister said the Centre is going for paddy procurement throughout the country and there is no reason to keep Telangana out. It is the “responsibility” of the Centre and said that he is surprised over it becoming an issue, and accused the TRS government of not providing the promised paddy in last season.
The delegation, also consisting of Nizamabad MP D. Aravind and Adilabad MP Soyam Babu Rao, was told by Mr. Goel that the State government has promised not to supply parboiled rice and wondered why the same issue is being raked up now after signing the document, according to party leaders.
Later, Mr. Sanjay Kumar told the assembled media that the KCR government is making a bid politicise paddy procurement process in order to discredit the BJP government at the Centre. “This is a fresh drama by the TRS to divert the people’s attention from the failures of its government,” he added.
Mr. Arvind discussed the issues of turmeric farmers and the issue of compensation to farmers who suffered losses during unseasonal rains. The Minister regretted that farmers insurance scheme is not been implemented in Telangana and offered to consider giving aid if proposals come from the State government.
