Centre's Failure Burdened State By 1,000 Crores: TRS
Despite repeated pleas, the Centre bought only Rs 410 crores worth of red gram produce in Telangana, resulting in the state needing to buy Rs. 1,005 crores' worth produce, Harish Rao said.
Hyderabad | 28th March 2018
Telangana Marketing Minister T Harish Rao today expressed displeasure over the Centre ignoring the plea of the Telangana government with regard to the procurement of the red gram produce.
At a review meeting at the Telangana Council with officials, Rao said that despite letters and repeated appeals, Union Agriculture Minister Radhamohan Singh had failed to offer a helping hand to the state to procure red gram, which had resulted in the state needing to bear a Rs 1,005 crore burden.
"As the state reaped more red gram produce this year through 2.51 lakh hectares being used for its cultivation, the government needed to procure Rs 1,415.19 crores' worth of red gram, weighing 2,59,699 metric tons. Though we appealed repeatedly, the Centre procured only 75,300 metric tons of red gram worth Rs 410 crores, and the Telangana government had to bear Rs 1,005 crores. The step-motherly treatment by the Centre resulted in that huge additional burden on the state government," Rao lamented.
Rao however expressed his appreciation for farmers who had migrated from Mahbubnagar district returning to farm and getting benefits through the red gram cultivation.
He also directed the officials of Nafed, Markfed and Haca to release the arrears to the farmers for the red gram produce immediately.
filed in: T Harish Rao, Agriculture, Minimum Support Price, Centre, TRS