TRS Demands Centre Purchase Entire Paddy In State

Intensifying the party's struggle against the BJP government at the Centre on the issue of paddy procurement, leaders and activists of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) staged protests across Telangana on Monday.

Almost the entire party top brass, including ministers, MLAs, mandal-level elected representatives and others, as also its rank and file, participated in the protests, demanding that the Centre procure the entire paddy being produced during the Rabi/Yasangi season.

Addressing the dharna at Gopalpur village of Karimnagar Rural mandal, Civil Supplies Minister Gangula Kamalakar alleged that the Centre was shirking from its responsibility of purchasing the entire paddy produced in Telangana, and in addition, Union Minister Piyush Goyal was misleading the farmers with his "double standards".

Kamalakar demanded that the BJP state unit president Bandi Sanjay convince the Centre to procure the entire paddy produced in Rabi irrespective of it being processed as raw or parboiled rice, rather than making baseless allegations against the KCR government.

He claimed that the whole problem arose becasue the state BJP leaders had given an assurance to the farmers, while asking them to go in for paddy cultivation despite the state government's pleas to the farmers against growing paddy, that their produce would be taken care of.

"Farmers have believed in the statements of BJP leaders and cultivated the paddy crop. When the crop has reached the harvesting stage now, the BJP leaders are shying away from their responsibility and blaming the TRS government," he alleged.

In Warangal district, the protests were led by Panchayat Raj Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao. Agriculture Minister Vemula Prashanth Reddy led the protests in Nizamabad district, Education Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy in Ranga Reddy district, and Power Minister G Jagadeesh Reddy in Suryapet district.

The TRS leaders vowed to intensify their stir in the days to come, and continue until the entire paddy in the state was purchased.