Paddy procurement: TRS stage protests across Telangana

Hyderabad: Braving the searing summer heat, Ministers, TRS leaders and party workers hit the streets to stage protests across Telangana on Monday demanding that the BJP government at the Centre procure the entire paddy produced during Yasangi season in the State. Minister and TRS leaders accompanied by party workers held placards and raised slogans against […]

Hyderabad: Braving the searing summer heat, Ministers, TRS leaders and party workers hit the streets to stage protests across Telangana on Monday demanding that the BJP government at the Centre procure the entire paddy produced during Yasangi season in the State.

Minister and TRS leaders accompanied by party workers held placards and raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and staged demonstrations at all the mandals in the State. Lading the protests, Ministers denounced the Centre for its discrimination towards Telangana, especially in paddy procurement.

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At Moosapet in Mahabubnagar, Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy said unlike Gujarat, Telangana was extending 24 hours quality power supply to the farming community. “Due to the Centre’s poor planning, farmers across the country are facing lot of problems,” Niranjan Reddy said, adding that TRS leaders will move around the country and expose the BJP government’s failures.

Civil Supplies Minister G Kamalakar, participating in the protest in Karimnagar, said union Minister of Consumer Affairs Piyush Goyal had humiliated Telangana by asking the people of Telangana to get habituated to consuming broken rice. “The union Minister is uttering blatant lies over the paddy procurement issue. BJP State president Bandi Sanjay should fulfill his assurances to farmers and make the Centre procure the entire paddy harvest from Telangana,” the Minister said.

At Velpur mandal in Nizamabad district, Roads and Buildings Minister V Prashanth Reddy said this was just the beginning, and that the TRS leaders will further intensify their protests till the BJP government makes a clear statement on paddy procurement from Telangana. “Telangana BJP leaders instigated the farmers to cultivate paddy and are now maintaining a strategic silence on paddy procurement,” the Minister said, and played video clips of BJP leaders asking the farming community to take up paddy cultivation.

Transport Minister P Ajay Kumar led the protest on the highway at Manchukonda in Khammam district while Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister E Dayakar Rao, sporting a turban and riding a bullock cart, led the protests at Rayaparthy, Thorrur, Kodakondla and other mandals in Palakurthy constituency.

At Suryapet mandal headquarters, Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy said TRS will continue to fight on behalf of the farming community. “These protests are only the first step towards a massive agitation in Telangana,” warned Jagadish Reddy and demanded that the Centre announce a national procurement policy.

These protests in mandals were held as part of TRS Working president and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao’s call to party leaders and cadre to conduct State-wide protests till April 11. This would be followed with Rasta Roko programmes on different National Highways in the State on Thursday.

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