Harish Rao urges ration dealers to fight collectively for demands

Former Minister T Harish Rao accused the Congress government of failing to fulfil promises to ration dealers, pay their commissions and address their demands. He urged them to fight collectively and alleged that coarse rice worth Rs 600 crore was rotting in godowns.

Siddipet: Former Minister T Harish Rao criticised the Congress government, stating that it was not in a position to release funds for any cause unless leaders, contractors and others made extreme statements, such as threatening a fast unto death. Citing recent statements by Jadcherla MLA Anirudh Reddy and Ration Dealers State President Nayikoti Raju, Harish Rao recalled that the Congress government had released Rs 5 crore in pending bills only after a contractor’s death in Nagarkurnool district.

Addressing a meeting of the Telangana Ration Dealers Association held near Gajwel on Tuesday, Rao called upon such persons to collectively fight the Congress government to achieve their demands instead of resorting to fast-unto-death protests. Stating that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had come to power by making a host of promises to ration dealers, the former Minister said the government had failed to fulfil any of them even nearly three years after coming to power.

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Besides, he said the government could not even pay their regular commissions, pushing ration dealers into crisis. Highlighting the Congress government’s negligence, he said coarse rice worth Rs 600 crore was rotting in godowns. He said the government would have earned a handsome income had it auctioned the rice after introducing the distribution of fine rice through the public distribution system.

Rao said the government should pay ration dealers an honorarium of Rs 5,000, increase their commission to Rs 300 and transform their shops into mini-supermarkets, as promised by the Congress.

MLC V Yadava Reddy, MLAs Anirudh Reddy and Gudem Mahipal Reddy, and others were present.