BJP steps up its ante on paddy procurement

Hyderabad: The Telangana BJP has intensified its opposition against the State government and the Congress party, with Union Ministers and party leaders making extensive visits to paddy procurement centres across the state. Dr K Laxman, BJP OBC Morcha National President visited the paddy procurement centres in the Choutuppal mandal of Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district on Monday.

Dr Laxman stated, “A farmer Pulla Reddy brought 1,100 sacks of paddy to the Choutuppal market yard 30 days ago; however, the paddy has yet to be bought. This is the plight of farmers everywhere.”

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, after visiting the paddy procurement centre at Kothagutta in Shankarapatnam, criticised the Congress government for delaying paddy purchases to avoid paying bonuses.

“While the government announced the opening of 7,572 procurement centres starting October 1, only 6,017 centres have opened so far. According to the plan, 8 lakh metric tonnes were supposed to be procured in October, and an additional 33 lakh metric tonnes in November. However, as of November 10—40 days into the state's action plan—only 95,140 metric tonnes of paddy have been procured. Out of which, approximately Rs 220 crore that should have been disbursed to farmers, only Rs 6.44 crore has been paid,” he said.

Sanjay Kumar further stated that 20 lakh metric tonnes out of over 30 lakh metric tonnes of paddy available for procurement were sold below the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 2,300 per quintal, resulting in a loss of Rs 1,000 crore due to the state government's failure to procure paddy. He attributed this failure to the state's obligation to pay Rs 2,500 crore for the promised bonus of Rs 500 per quintal on about 50 lakh tonnes of superfine rice.

Malkajgiri MP Eatala Rajender, after inspecting conditions at the procurement centres in Janagama, noted that rice millers are struggling with space shortages, preventing, them from lifting paddy. He called for the state government to ensure immediate procurement of paddy, within two to three days of its arrival at the centres and to facilitate prompt payments to farmers.