BRS leader Jagdish Reddy slams Congress govt for paddy procurement crisis

BRS leader G. Jagdish Reddy criticised the Congress government for failing to support farmers affected by Cyclone Michaung. During a visit to a PACS centre in Nalgonda, he highlighted the plight of farmers stuck with rotting wet paddy and accused ministers of corruption in the procurement process

Nalgonda: Stating that farmers across the State were left crushed between bureaucratic bungling and cyclone fury, BRS leader and former Minister G. Jagdish Reddy on Saturday criticised the Congress government for failing to come to their rescue while harvest centres and market yards were packed with huge stocks of rain-soaked paddy.

Accompanied by former MLA Bhupal Reddy, he visited the Arjalabhavi Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS) procurement centre in Nalgonda district and took stock of the plight of farmers waiting with heaps of wet paddy left to rot amid procurement delays.

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Speaking to reporters at the site, Jagdish Reddy criticised the ruling Congress government, accusing it of abandoning the very farmers who form the backbone of the State’s economy. “It’s a heartbreaking sight,” Reddy lamented.

Farmers are reeling in agony, their crops destroyed and futures shattered. They were left deprived on one side due to the government’s incompetence and on the other due to nature’s fury. They had paid a high price in the state because of the vengeance wreaked by Cyclone Montha.

Alleging deep-rooted corruption , he accused ministers of pocketing crores in bribes from rice millers, leaving procurement officials to play favourites for the benefit of millers. As a result, millers are squeezing farmers dry. Wet grains with sprouts are visible everywhere. He drew a sharp contrast to the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi regime under former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao.

“When KCR was the Chief Minister, we set aside all rules and bought every grain of paddy and cotton without hassles, ensuring no burden on farmers,” he recalled.

But now, this government is tormenting them. First, they made farmers cry over urea shortages. Now, they’re refusing to procure paddy. He demanded immediate relief measures, including compensation for cyclone-damaged crops and unconditional procurement of wet paddy. The government must consider ex-gratia payment immediately and buy soaked grains without any conditions, he insisted.

“If they don’t act, the BRS party will take to the streets and hold the government accountable”, he warned.