TRS activists, farmers stage dharnas in Karimnagar, demand Centre to procure paddy

Karimnagar: Telangana Rashtra Samithi leaders and activists along with farmers staged dharnas in all mandal headquarters across the erstwhile Karimnagar district on Monday, demanding that the central government purchase Yasangi paddy. While Ministers, MLAs, MLCs and other public representatives participated in the protest demonstrations held in the constituency headquarters, mandal level public representatives, Rythu Bandhu […]

Karimnagar: Telangana Rashtra Samithi leaders and activists along with farmers staged dharnas in all mandal headquarters across the erstwhile Karimnagar district on Monday, demanding that the central government purchase Yasangi paddy.

While Ministers, MLAs, MLCs and other public representatives participated in the protest demonstrations held in the constituency headquarters, mandal level public representatives, Rythu Bandhu Samithi members, PACS chairmen’s and others participated in mandal level dharnas. BC Welfare and Civil Supplies Minister, Gangula Kamalakar participated in dharnas at Durshed cross roads and Gumlapur of Kamanpur mandal.

Speaking on the occasion, Kamalakar found fault with the union government for showing discrimination on Telangana by denying to purchasing Yasangi season paddy from the state. union minister Piyush Goyal was telling lies. When he met the central minister, the latter refused to purchase parboiled rice stating that rice enough for four years was available with the government.

When informed that more quality of broken rice would be generated if yasangi season paddy was directly milled without boiling, Piyush Goyal advised to develop a habit among Telangana people to eat broken rice. The union Minister humiliated Telangana people through his comments. According to the constitution, it was the responsibility of the central government to purchase different varieties of the crops produced by farmers across the country.

Food Corporation of India, which was constituted in 1965 to purchase paddy and other crops, was continuing the practice for the past sixty years. When he requested Piyush Goyal to continue the six decades old tradition, the union minister refused to procure paddy. When the state government had asked farmers to stay away from paddy cultivation since the union government was denying to procure paddy in Yasangi season, BJP state president and Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar provoked farmers to sow the crop by promising to procure the crop by convincing the union government.

Minister demanded the BJP president to take steps to purchase paddy if the latter was sincere to protect the interests of the farming community. He threatened to continue the agitation till the central government changes its decision.