Harish Rao slams Congress govt over maize farmers’ plight, demands MSP and bonus

The BRS MLA criticised the Congress government for neglecting maize farmers in Telangana, demanding immediate opening of procurement centres and payment of Rs 2,400 MSP plus Rs 330 bonus per quintal as promised in the party’s election manifesto

Hyderabad: Former Minister and BRS MLA T Harish Rao has lashed out at the Congress government over its negligence towards maize farmers across Telangana. He demanded that the government open maize procurement centres immediately and ensure minimum support price of Rs 2,400 per quintal along with Rs 330 bonus.

In a strongly worded open letter to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Harish Rao accused the government of failing to open maize procurement centres even as market yards are flooded with stocks. Stating that maize was cultivated in over seven lakh acres this season, he said farmers were being forced to sell their produce to private traders at Rs 1,600 per quintal, far below the MSP and the bonus promised by the Congress government to them in the election manifesto. “Farmers are being exploited by middlemen, while your government looks away,” he wrote, warning that the situation had left farmers in distress.

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The former Minister stated that the Congress had abandoned its poll assurances, adding that farmers had not received bonus payments for two consecutive years. “You should stop your Delhi tours, commission governance and divisional politics. Instead, you should focus on farmers’ challenges,” he told the Chief Minister. He said the BRS would continue to fight until the government fulfilled its promise to protect the interests of Telangana farmers.