Minister for Roads and Buildings Vemula Prashanth Reddy said that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao came to the rescue of farmers and decided to buy paddy from them when the Centre refused to buy. He asked the farmers to bring paddy after drying it and collect a MSP of ₹1,960 per quintal as offered by the government.
“Centre is playing politics with paddy procurement in the State. That is why the Chief Minister has suggested to reduce the paddy sowing area. BJP leaders Bandi Sanjay Kumar and G. Kishan Reddy, who had instigated farmers to sow paddy, are not to be seen when farmers are facing problems,” said Mr. Reddy after inaugurating a paddy procurement centre at Velpur in Balkonda constituency on Thursday.
Stating that the government has been extending power subsidy of ₹12,000 crore and ₹15,000 crore assistance under Rythu Bandhu to farmers, the Minister said that it was only KCR who can help the farming community.
DCCB vice-chairman Ramesh Reddy, Additional Collector Chandrasekhar and others were present.