TRS leaders' percentage demands stalling FPI growth: MP Arvind Dharmapuri

Hyderabad: Nizamabad BJP MP Arvind Dharmapuri on Friday lashed out at Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy for misleading people on procurement of paddy and prospect of food processing industry (FPI) in the State.

Addressing the media here, he dismissed the minister's claims of misleading on the contents of a letter written by the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, to the State Commissioner of Civil Supplies.

The MP said the TRS ministers have been making different statements on paddy procurement and demanded the CM to clarify the issue. He said the "State takes loan for the procurement and interest is paid by the Centre."

"The Centre bears all costs of the procurement of paddy. Including transportation and other components. But the CM makes use of the same to take credit.

Arvind said earlier KCR had claimed that the State produces two crore tonnes of food grains. "Of this, about 1.1 crore tonnes are needed to meet the demand of the State people. The remaining stocks would be marketed and exported under the brand Telangana.

The MP asked the CM to disclose his strategy of marketing and exporting food grains and the quantities of food grains procured in the State that have so far been marketed and exported in the last seven years.

He said the letter in question advises the State to take steps to overcome the constraints faced by encouraging modernisation of rice mill's technology and encouraging the food processing industry, like rice bran oil. But the Centre did not say that it would not procure paddy.

"The Centre provides 80 per cent subsidy to the food processing industry (FPI). But, the TRS leaders demand percentages from the prospective investors to start FPI in the State". Arvind alleged that the food park in Nandipet has become a causality for the percentage demands of the leaders.

Referring to the TRS 2014l manifesto, he asked the CM to clarify what his government has delivered on its promise to rescue farmers through market intervention. Also, how much crop bonus it has so far provided to them.