Congress buried Rythu Declaration by restricting procurement of grains: Harish Rao

Former Minister T Harish Rao accused the Congress government of failing to fulfil key promises made to farmers under the Warangal Rythu Declaration. He criticised procurement restrictions, delays in welfare schemes and the government's handling of agricultural support measures.

Siddipet: Former Minister T Harish Rao has accused the Congress government of burying the Warangal Rythu Declaration on the day of party leader Rahul Gandhi‘s birthday by restricting the procurement of grains.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Harish Rao said Rahul Gandhi had announced the Rythu Declaration during a public meeting in Warangal ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections, making several promises for the welfare of farmers. Stating that the Congress had already failed to keep those promises, Rao said the Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy-led government had buried the entire declaration with its decision to restrict the procurement of agricultural produce in line with the quota prescribed by the Centre.

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When the Congress was in the Opposition, the former Minister said Revanth Reddy had assured farmers that every grain of paddy would be procured, encouraging them to cultivate the crop without restrictions. Recalling how the BRS government led by former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao procured all the grain despite several challenges and despite the Centre not procuring grain, he said BRS MLAs and MPs had staged protests in New Delhi against the Centre’s restrictions on procurement.

Rao expressed concern that the Revanth Reddy government would not procure maize, jowar and other grains if the Centre stopped purchasing them. He further said that the Centre was purchasing only 25 per cent of pulses and oilseeds besides imposing restrictions on several grains. While Telangana farmers were producing more than 90 lakh metric tonnes of agricultural produce in a season, the Revanth Reddy government was procuring only 50 lakh metric tonnes as prescribed by the Centre, pushing farmers into distress, he alleged.

Elaborating on the struggles faced by farmers under the Congress government, he said that hikes in diesel, seed and fertiliser prices, coupled with the digital urea booking system, had left farmers struggling. Accusing the Congress of cheating farmers after promising a bonus for all crops, Rao said the government had restricted the bonus to only seven varieties of fine rice. Seeking an apology from the Congress for going back on its promise, the former Minister demanded that the government explain why it had restricted the bonus to just seven varieties of fine rice, down from the earlier 33.

He also alleged that Revanth Reddy had gone back on the promise of releasing the Yasangi instalment of Rythu Bharosa after making a statement during the inauguration of an oil palm factory at Narmetta. Rao further sought an explanation from the Congress on why Rythu Bheema benefits had allegedly not been released to 7,600 farmers since January.