Telangana Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy today said that as a result of the state government's Rythu Bandhu farmer welfare scheme and other similar programs, the amount of farmed land in Telangana had registered a "steep increase" and had made the region the Annapoorna, or the rice bowl, of the country.
He told the media that the godown capacity in the state, which was only four lakh metric tonnes at the time of the formation of Telangana in 2014, had now increased to 29.26 lakh metric tonnes.
"The paddy grown in the state is stored not only in godowns but also in the Rythu Vedikas, mills as well as other available spaces today. This has been achieved only because of the importance given to agriculture by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao," the minister said.
Reddy added that the leaders of the Opposition who were flaying the government over the issue of paddy procurement needed to first reflect on why the paddy production in Telangana had skyrocketed.
"The Opposition must ask itself what has enabled our state to amp up its paddy production so dramatically. While a total of 24.29 lakh metric tonnes of paddy was purchased over 2014 and 2015, 90.04 metric tonnes were purchased in 2021 alone. Our regime has done much to bolster agriculture and to make the sector viable and profitable again. Those criticising our government must consider these facts," he fumed.
Talking about the Rythu Bandhu scheme, Reddy revealed that the government was currently disbursing financial support to the farmers for the Kharif cropping season and that Rs 7,300 crore had been allocated for the purpose of providing support to about 65 lakh farmers this year.
This explanation was in all likelihood prompted by the fact that the KCR regime has been attracting much censure for the delays in the procurement of paddy at the state's government procurement centres. After heavy rain lashed several parts of the state some days ago, many leaders have spoken up in support of the farmers who have faced losses due to the inclement weather and "inefficient procurement practices" - politician Y S Sharmila had spoken about the problems the
flood-hit farmers of Vikarabad district were having to contend with. She had demanded that the government support the affected group.
Former Congress leader and erstwhile Chevella MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy had also called on Niranjan Reddy and
submitted a representation to him, urging the latter to "solve" the problems being faced by the farmers of the Rangareddy and Vikarabad districts.