Harish Rao demands withdrawal of crop procurement restrictions

BRS leader T Harish Rao criticised the State Cabinet's decision to procure crops within Central quotas and demanded the release of Rs 16,545 crore in pending Rythu Bharosa dues. He alleged the government's policies were harming farmers and weakening agricultural support systems.

Hyderabad: Coming down heavily on the Congress government, BRS deputy floor leader T Harish Rao condemned the State Cabinet’s decision to procure crops only within quotas prescribed by the Centre. He demanded the immediate withdrawal of the anti-farmer decisions and also sought the release of Rs 16,545 crore towards pending Rythu Bharosa dues by June 30.

In a strongly worded statement on Thursday, Harish Rao warned the State government against abandoning its responsibility towards farmers and attempting to blame the Centre. He pointed out that the Congress had failed to release the arrears of the previous three instalments of Rythu Bharosa.

---

Accusing the government of first diluting crop bonus promises and now imposing restrictions on procurement, Harish Rao said the Cabinet had effectively admitted its inability to procure farmers’ produce. “If the government refuses to buy crops grown by farmers, what are they expected to do with the harvest?” he asked.

The former Minister alleged that limiting procurement to Central quotas would leave farmers at the mercy of private traders and market fluctuations. He said farmers who followed the government’s advice to diversify crops had already suffered losses due to inadequate procurement.

“Sunflower farmers were left with 1.2 lakh quintals of unsold stock after only a fraction of the produce was procured by the Centre, while chickpea farmers were forced to sell at prices Rs 3,000-Rs 4,000 below the Minimum Support Price (MSP). Similarly, jowar producers are selling their produce to private traders at rates significantly below MSP due to the absence of procurement centres. Maize farmers too are facing difficulties because of procurement restrictions,” Harish Rao said.

He accused the Congress government of failing on multiple fronts, including the implementation of Rythu Bharosa, farm loan waivers, Rythu Bima, crop bonuses, irrigation and power supply.

Harish Rao also targeted the Congress government over water management, alleging that despite repeatedly warning about water scarcity and the impact of El Nino, water was released to Andhra Pradesh while Telangana farmers were being advised to limit cultivation due to shortages. He questioned why the government failed to take precautionary measures despite prior warnings and accused it of attempting to shift the burden of its failures onto farmers.

Warning of strong resistance from the farming community, the BRS leader said any attempt by the government to evade its procurement responsibilities would be met with protests. He also ridiculed the government’s plan to release Rythu Bharosa funds through public meetings, describing it as a political spectacle rather than governance.