BJP criticises delayed paddy procurement

Sathupalli: BJP senior leader and Khammam Parliament Convener Namburi Ramalingeswara Rao expressed anger at officials for ignoring the District Collector’s directives on paddy procurement in Sathupalli. Accompanied by party leaders, he visited procurement centres in the constituency and interacted with distressed farmers on Friday.

Rao highlighted the plight of farmers in Erugatla Panchayat of Penuballi Mandal, who have waited over 40 days to sell their harvested paddy from 1,000 acres. Despite preparing three bales of paddy totaling 30 to 35 truckloads, no action has been taken to purchase the produce.

He revealed that farmers had approached the District Collector four days ago, prompting the Collector to instruct Civil Supplies District Manager Srilatha to procure the paddy immediately. However, no progress has been made, leaving farmers in a dire situation.

On Thursday, BJP National Executive Committee member Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy visited Kallur Mandal and was briefed on the farmers’ ordeal. Following his directions, Penuballi Mandal President Borra Narasimha Rao inspected the bales on Friday, confirming that 25,000 bags of paddy were ready for procurement.

Speaking to the Civil Supplies Manager over the phone, Rao demanded immediate action. Farmers alleged that a local Congress leader was interfering for personal gain, obstructing procurement efforts.

The BJP has warned of large-scale farmer protests if the District Collector fails to address the issue promptly. Leaders including Padigala Madhusudhan Rao, Orugantu Ramu, Satyanarayana Reddy, Konathala Venkataswamy, and local farmers participated in the programme.