Harish Rao slams Congress for restricting maize procurement in Siddipet

Former Minister T Harish Rao criticised the Congress-led Telangana government for capping maize procurement at 18 quintals per acre, despite higher yields. He highlighted the delay in opening procurement centres, forcing farmers to sell at rates below MSP.

Siddipet: Former Minister T Harish Rao came down heavily on the Congress government for limiting maize procurement to 18 quintals per acre, while farmers were harvesting 25 to 30 quintals per acre. He demanded that the restriction be lifted immediately and every grain of maize be purchased for the benefit of farmers.

Speaking to reporters after inaugurating a paddy procurement centre in the Siddipet market on Wednesday, Harish Rao said the Congress government had failed to start maize procurement centres on time. Since the government opened the centres only on Wednesday across the State, he said many farmers had already sold their produce to private traders.

---

He pointed out that 14,000 quintals of maize were sold to traders in the Siddipet market alone at Rs 1,600 per quintal, far below the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 2,420.

Criticising Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for what he termed “unfulfilled promises” made during the 2023 Assembly elections, Harish Rao said the Congress government had failed to provide bonuses on any crop despite including it in the party’s manifesto.

He alleged that Revanth Reddy had failed to extend bonus payments even to fine rice and had also denied Rythu Bandhu assistance for two consecutive seasons. The former minister urged the government to immediately clear the pending farm loan waiver without further delay.