Centre demotivating farmers: Niranjan Reddy

Hyderabad: Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy on Thursday launched a blistering attack on BJP leaders from Telangana for unnecessarily speaking on paddy procurement issue when both State and Central governments were discussing it. Stating that the BJP leaders were speaking irresponsibly on the issue, Niranjan Reddy told mediapersons in New Delhi that the Union Food, […]

Hyderabad: Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy on Thursday launched a blistering attack on BJP leaders from Telangana for unnecessarily speaking on paddy procurement issue when both State and Central governments were discussing it.

Stating that the BJP leaders were speaking irresponsibly on the issue, Niranjan Reddy told mediapersons in New Delhi that the Union Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal promised that he would respond in two days. “We waited till completion of the office hours on Thursday,” Niranjan Reddy, part of the Ministerial delegation camping in New Delhi for the last six days, said. He also extended wishes to farmers on account of National Farmers Day.

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Stating that the attitude of the Centre was demotivating farmers, Reddy said a majority of the people were dependent on the agriculture sector. “What’s wrong in getting certain incentives for farmers? The Centre should understand that cultivation in Telangana was higher than 50 per cent of the States in the country,” he said.

Pointing out that Modi, after becoming Prime Minister, had made two promises – providing two crore jobs every year and implementation of Swaminathan Committee recommendations, Niranjan Reddy said till now, no concrete steps were taken. “If you (BJP) cannot do it, make necessary amendments to the Constitution and hand over the responsibility to us,” he said. “If you (BJP) are unable to handle it, accept that you are inefficient,” he said.

Alleging that the Centre has no commitment towards farmers’ welfare, he demanded that the Union Minister give in writing the announcement made in Parliament. The government at the Centre was behaving like a political party and Union Ministers were also speaking like politicians humiliating the delegation members saying that they came to New Delhi unnecessarily, he said.

“Why are BJP leaders speaking sarcastically against us when we are fighting on behalf of farmers in the State?” he asked. He said the parboiled rice issue was over since it was communicated to farmers. “We are only asking the Centre about enhanced paddy procurement target for kharif,” the Minister said, adding that the delegation came to New Delhi to get a written agreement from Goyal.

In a direct question to Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy, the Minister asked whether the former has no responsibility towards Telangana. “Kishan Reddy can speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and resolve the issue instead of criticizing the Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao who is striving for everyone’s development,” he said.

After the US, India has the highest agriculture land and only a four per cent subsidy was given to the agriculture sector. As many as 50 crops are cultivated in India but the Minimum Support Price (MSP) is given to only 23 crops and it was because of this that the Swaminathan Committee made crucial recommendations, he said.

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