Cotton farmers in distress: BRS leader slams Congress govt for delaying cotton purchases

BRS leader Chirumarthi Lingayya criticised the Congress-led state government for delaying the opening of Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) purchase centres, alleging that farmers were being exploited by middlemen. After inspecting crop damage in Nalgonda, he demanded immediate procurement and support price assurance.

Nalgonda: Accusing the state government of deliberately delaying the opening of Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) purchase centres, BRS leader and former Nakirekal MLA Chirumarthi Lingayya on Thursday said the cotton farmers were being pushed to the edge by leaving them at the mercy of middlemen. The farmers had already suffered heavy losses due to incessant rains.

Lingayya visited cotton fields in Peddakaparthi village of Chityal mandal, where he inspected the crop damage and interacted with affected farmers to understand their grievances.

---

Speaking on the occasion, he questioned the government’s inaction, asking why CCI procurement centres have not been opened in the required numbers despite the cotton arrivals gaining momentum.

“Due to the rains, farmers are unable to store the cotton just harvested in the open. They are in a state of panic,” he said, emphasising that the government’s reluctance to set up these centres was a calculated move to favour middlemen at the expense of growers.

Contrasting the current administration with the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) regime under K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), Lingayya said that during the BRS regime, farmers received minimum support prices (MSP) along with timely procurement measures that ensured their profits.

He urged union ministers and Members of Parliament from Telangana to intervene immediately on this issue. Lingayya challenged the Congress Ministers to explain what they have done for the people so far instead of hurling baseless accusations at KCR.

Listing out the government’s failures, he pointed to the absence of Rythu Bandhu assistance, delays in paddy bonus payments, lack of procurement facilities for harvested crops, untimely supply of fertilisers, and the overall inability or unwillingness to provide MSP.

He demanded that the government to procure cotton without any restrictions or hurdles and ensure farmers receive the promised support price.