Give written assurance on paddy procurement for Vaanakalam: TS Ministers to Centre

Hyderabad: Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy demanded that the Central government should give a written assurance to the Telangana government over enhancing targets for paddy procurement during the Vaanakalam (Kharif) season. He sought Union Minister for Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal to increase the Vaanakalam target from 60 lakh tonnes of paddy (i.e. 40 […]

Hyderabad: Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy demanded that the Central government should give a written assurance to the Telangana government over enhancing targets for paddy procurement during the Vaanakalam (Kharif) season. He sought Union Minister for Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal to increase the Vaanakalam target from 60 lakh tonnes of paddy (i.e. 40 lakh tonnes rice) as Telangana is expected to receive a record paddy production of nearly 1.3 crore tonnes, due to cultivation of paddy in 62.13 lakh acres.

“Following our repeated requests, the Union Minister had assured in the Parliament that the Centre was ready to procure the entire paddy crop from Telangana, if supplied as raw rice. As we have reached the target of 60 lakh tonnes and at least 15 lakh of paddy is awaiting at market yards for purchase, we are here to request the Union Minister to issue orders immediately to enhance procurement targets,” the Minister told media persons at New Delhi on Monday. A delegation of Telangana Ministers and MPs, have sought the appointment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Food and Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal.

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Niranjan Reddy informed that Telangana had already reached 55 lakh tonnes by Sunday itself and likely to complete the paddy target of 60 lakh tonnes paddy by Monday evening. Besides 12-15 lakh tonnes paddy awaiting for procurement at market yards, paddy harvesting is yet to be taken up in parts of erstwhile districts of Khammam, Nalgonda and Mahabubnagar which is expected upto January 15. Over 5 lakh acres of paddy cultivation is ready for harvesting.

Responding to the mediapersons on why the State government is insisting on a written assurance, the Minister stated that they had several bad experiences with the Centre’s assurances and cannot trust their oral assurances. He stated that if the State government purchases paddy from farmers, it must make payments for their produce within the next couple of days and if the Union government refuses to purchase after the State government procures paddy from farmers, what should be done with such a huge quantity of rice stocks?” he questioned.

Niranjan Reddy made it clear that the Ministers and MPs delegation was not in Delhi for politics and were only concerned about their farmers’ farm produce. It is wrong on part of the Centre to keep us waiting as it involves farmers’ issues, he asserted. “All that we request is that the Centre take into cognizance of the grave situation and farmers’ issue into their notice.”

Ministers V Prashath Reddy, G Jagadish Reddy, and Errabelli Dayakar Rao along with TRS floor leaders K Keshava Rao and Nama Nageshwara Rao and others were present.

రైతుల పట్ల కేంద్రంలోని బీజేపీ ప్రభుత్వం అవలంబిస్తున్న తీరు సరైనది కాదు : వ్యవసాయ శాఖ మంత్రి శ్రీ @SingireddyTRS. #AntiFarmerBJP pic.twitter.com/jt5ls4RQFO

— TRS Party (@trspartyonline) December 20, 2021

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